It’s located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, is an international area where various cultures coexist. Itaewon was originally a transportation center where people gathered since the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties. The meaning of ‘won’ in Itaewon also means a village with a large floating population and many accommodations for envoys and guests. And after the Korean War, the US military headquarters was located here, so it began to form a commercial district for foreigners. Because of this background, Itaewon developed an exotic mood early on.

Beginning in the 1980s and 1990s, Itaewon developed into a more diverse and vibrant area. As the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Olympics were held in Seoul, Itaewon also became a popular spot for foreign tourists. Starting in the late 1990s, it became a multinational street as the number of tourists from Southeast Asia and the Middle East increased. In particular, in 1997, Itaewon was designated as Seoul's 'The First Special Tourist Zone' and more than 20,000 foreigners began to reside there. To this day, the ‘Itaewon Global Village Festival’ is held every October, and it is a neighborhood where you can easily communicate in foreign languages.

Additionally, restaurants, bars, and clubs from each country opened as people of various nationalities gathered. There are over 2,000 restaurants, cafes, hotels, travel agencies, and shopping malls in every alley, including Hannam-dong and Gyeongnidan-gil. In particular, ‘Itaewon Furniture Street’, where about 100 European antique furniture stores are concentrated, and ‘World Food Street’, where restaurants run by foreigners are gathered, are famous. Also, because you can purchase exotic products, it has become a must-see place for foreigners' mood as a multinational and multi-cultural area.