Brief History of Itaewon
 
Dating from the 14th century, Itaewon was the first gateway to Seoul for travelers coming from the Yeongnam
area of Korea. Being adjacent to the Han River, it formed a major trading area. That tradition continues today
as Itaewon attracts thousands of foreign shoppers. The Itaewon shopping area covers a 1.4 km length, stretching
from the U.S. 8th Army Base eastwards to Hannam-dong and contains over 1,000 different stores. The area has
a vibrant night life scene with many bars and nightclubs. Many street
vendors selling shirts, jackets, and caps also stay up late to cater to nocturnal shoppers. Most vendors speak
some English and Japanese, and most will take Won, Dollars, or Yen for transactions. Most larger shops will
take most credit cards as well.
Origin of the Area Name for Itaewon
According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Itaewon has had two different sets of
Chinese characters representing its name. One set used I (meaning different or foreign)
and T'ae (meaning pregnancy or conception).
The other set used the characters for pear (I ) and
big (Tae ). When the Japanese army occupied Seoul during the 1592-98 Japanese
invasion, the head of Japanese army went to Unjeong-sa temple in Hwanghak-dong (the current
It'eawon area) where female monks were residing.
They raped the female monks and burned the
temple when they left, leaving the female monks homeless. Several of the monks became pregnant
and built a tent house where they gave birth to the children. People started to call the place
It'eawon , a place for foreign pregnancy. Years later, someone planted a pear
tree in the area and it grew very well. People then started calling the area It'eawon.
meaning pear and big place. This is the Chinese form used up to current times.
Islamic Mosque
Food and Drink
Most Western fast food restaurants have an outlet here. There are also several good
Korean, as well as other Western, restaurants here. "Fish Alley" has several
small establishments where you can eat inside or take with you. Many stay open until
dawn- see the Itaewon night life page for more
details.
See related tour(s). |
