Myong Dong by Jun_Oh
This quarter has two faces, each of which seems totally different from each other. First, it is a most important financial district of Korea, having headquarter buildings of the nation's representative national and commercial banks such as the Industrial Bank of Korea, the Korea Exchange Bank, and the Kookmin Bank, as well as The Bank of Korea, the bank of issue. Moreover, a total of over 70 bank branches of the various financial institutions, including banks, securities companies, and short-term financing companies and investment firms are located within the area. Secondly, Myong-dong is known as a most advanced fashion and entertainment center. U2 Zone, V-Exchange, Trend 20, ENVY and Hamburger University are among the large number of fashion malls, which are packing the area more dense every year. Those multi-functional shopping spots, equipped with update facilities for consumers, mainly for the younger generation, draw in thousands of fashion-minded people from across the city. With the slogan, 'From head to feet' they have come to push out more or less the traditional specialty stores in this area. Cafes and bars with live music and various kinds of restaurants, in many cases boasting of long tradition, are still prospering, while McDonald's, Burger King, and other fast food restaurants are also extending their spaces. So it is natural that about two million people flow in and out of this area a day. As the shopping population includes a considerable number of foreign tourists and residents, boards and instructions for shopping written in Japanese or Chinese are often seen on the show windows of the stores.
