With each passing day, the landscape of “Seoul’s Brooklyn,” Seongsu-dong, is swallowed by the tide of corporate branding. Once markers of civic pride, subway stations are now transformed into billboards.
“As someone who really loves Seongsu, this is what I have to say,” Grace Choi (12), frequent Seongsu-dong visitor, said. “While it is true that Seongsu’s popularity with modern consumers stems primarily from its collection of modern pop-up and flagship stores, I feel like renaming the station to ‘Olive Young station’ kind of erases its history entirely when a lot of it has already become ignored or forgotten by today’s Seongsu visitors.”
Names are traded like commodities, as Seoul’s soul is quietly sold off, piece by piece. On Aug. 9, Korea’s leading health and beauty retailer CJ Olive Young secured the naming rights to Seongsu-dong Station on Seoul Subway Line Two, bidding ₩1,000,000,000. This decision has sparked a contentious debate about the increasing commercialization of public spaces and its impacts on different segments of society, particularly the elderly and those disconnected from mainstream culture.
“I can definitely see how elders would be impacted negatively by this decision,” Minseo Park (11), frequent Olive Young consumer, said. “Olive Young is great, but does it really make sense for them to be renaming public transportation stations? The subway was built for everybody, and this will make it more difficult for the elderly to, for example, know where to stop when they are riding the subway. It is sad to think about.”
Unlike younger generations who are deeply immersed in brand recognition, older generations may find themselves disoriented by a station name that bears no connection to Seongsu-dong’s rich history. For many elderly residents, who comprise 19 percent of Seoul’s population according to The Korea Times, the renaming is more than just an inconvenience—it is a disruption of their connection to the city’s identity and a stark reminder of how rapidly the urban landscape is changing around them.
“As someone who is very into this sort of stuff, I feel like Seongsu-dong is definitely a haven for authentic, Korean architecture,” Teresa Chang (12), Seoul Architecture Preservation Club President, said. “Renaming the station as the ‘Olive Young station’ is a dishonor to this abundance of beautiful architecture, and they should definitely reconsider the decision before it is actually too late.”
For Olive Young, this move is a marketing triumph, amplifying its brand presence in one of Seoul’s trendiest neighborhoods. Olive Young has a leading position in the South Korean market, both in number of stores and sales. It is especially popular among women in their 20s and 30s, and the brand has seen a 263 percent increase in 2024 sales to foreigners according to The Chosun Daily.
“I definitely do see a lot of foreigners at Olive Young these days,” Avin Im (12), Olive Young fan, said. “I was at the Gangnam flagship Olive Young store last week, and I swear I saw more foreigners than Koreans. Everyone was trying to get their hands on products that have gone viral on TikTok such as Torriden’s ‘Hyaluronic Acid Mask’ and UNOVE’s ‘Deep Damage Treatment’ for damaged hair.”
Olive Young has been notorious for its strategic marketing, placing over 1,300 offline stores in densely populated areas, frequently collaborating with top influencers and celebrities, and hosting grand monthly sales.
Olive Young dominates the beauty scene in Korea, reporting 3.86 trillion won in revenue in 2023 according to Statista, up 39 percent year-on-year with an estimated operating margin of some 10.7 percent last year. The corporation went so far as to drive Sephora from the Korean market as well, making the French brand go bankrupt with a capital impairment in 2021.
“It is sad that big companies like Olive Young who already generate lots of revenue use their power to harm communities just to make even more money,” Seohyun Park (12), Seoul preservation supporter, said. “I hope Olive Young becomes more mindful of how they are using their huge platform.”
