Daegu’s downtown is revolting. Gone are the old ways, gone are the tiny carts offering bugs and compressed fake-fish dipped in water, gone are the visored ajummas and drunken ajoshis, swept aside by glorious progress; by Da Vinci’s and Starbucks and Hans. With every passing day our numbers grow, and our strength grows, more and more foreign teachers crammed into little ole' Daegu, throwing money at only the chicest of entrepreneurs, creating a new vanguard daily.
And Dongsungro, broadly the area stretching from Banwoldang to Kyobo, is fast becoming our new playground. Running parallel to the maze of streets which play host to all the bars, clubs and shopping of downtown Daegu, the area is already unrecognizable from its jaded past. Since 2008 those who can have widened the streets and ripped out the markets, the street vendors and the cars and manicured the area into modernity.
Let’s face it: this is not the area to go for tradition. The wonderfully sprawling Seomun market lies about a 15 minute walk from Dongsungro, and if even that’s not anachronous enough, then you can get all the reindeer antlers and bear bile you want a stone’s throw away at the herbal medicine market.
Now, the new-wave runs the area. Since 2009, eight international restaurants have opened in the area, and the (albeit Koreanized) cuisine of 16 countries can be sampled here today, with an ever-increasing number of Korean converts. Ms. Jiyeon Jung, 25 of Bonli-dong, said: ‘Two month ago, I ate at an Italian restaurant in this area with my friend and I liked it so much that I’ve kept coming back.”
The nationwide 4D Theater explosion has also found an ally here. In the last year alone seven have opened, with an enormous indoor amusement park ready to join the fray in April.
4D today is a simpler concept than that which mathematicians have grappled with for centuries. Now it involves those red and blue 3D glasses that we all love, a strong safety bar, dramatic images and lots of shaking, rolling and water coming at’cha.
Unsurprisingly, the convenience, safety and excitement attracts hordes of students and families Mr Kang opened his theater a year ago, and business is booming: “There are many different rides on offer, with different levels and types of action, and we often have students trying loads in a day.”
With space in the area now at a premium, the usual boredom of chain stores and eateries have moved in, though gems lie down all of its numerous alleys, and Misoya, located at the Banwoldang end, does better sushi than most in Daegu. One place well-worthy of note is Babwich, a budget kimbab and sandwich shop that sells its own recipe “Maecharm” kimbab, that is spicy, delicious and unlike any you will have tried before. It’s located right by Jungangno exit 2.
There are already over twenty thousand foreigners in Daegu, and the younger generation of Koreans are lapping up the burgeoning international scene. With more money to spend and fewer responsibilities than their parents, these new markets are growing rapidly. An official of the co-op of shopkeepers said, “We’ve seen a 30 percent rise in visitors since Dongsungro was created. The area is aimed at young people, but it’s safe and family-friendly too.
published here: http://www.in-daegu.com/PDFs/April2011.pdf
April 2011 - InDaegu magazine (front page, main story)
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