Melbourne’s Koreatown Is Officially Open For Business (And Tteokbokki)

At the north end of the city in Healeys Lane (where Paik’s BBQ is, IYKYK) has officially been turned into the city’s Koreatown, marked with Australia’s first traditionally crafted Korean totem poles. 

So, we kinda already knew Melbourne's Koreatown was unofficially a thing before the paperwork, but we're stoked that it's been made official. 

The lane, between King and William streets, was chosen as the site for Koreatown because it’s already home to around 25 Korean businesses, mostly restaurants—making it a natural hub for Korean culture and cuisine in Melbourne.

The three-metre-high jang seung (that's those totem poles) standing guard at the entrance of the precinct were hand-carved by a master craftsperson especially for Melbourne. Nice.

“By formalising Koreatown, we aim to attract more visitors and businesses to the area, positioning it alongside Melbourne’s legendary streetscapes like Degraves Street, Chinatown and Hardware Lane,” Lord Mayor Nick Reece says.

“Standing at almost three metres tall, the jang seung will welcome people to the precinct and create iconic moments for visitors to share with the world. They’re a bold invitation to visit daebak—awesome—Melbourne and experience one of our cool precincts.”  

Koreans are one of the City of Melbourne’s top 10 diaspora communities, with more than 2,500 Koreans calling the municipality home—and over 25,000 across Victoria. 

Traditionally, jang seung watch over daily life at the entrance to rural villages in Korea. Melbourne’s four totems were created by Master Jong-yeon Kim and will create photo moments that will be tagged and shared across the globe.     

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Last year, the City of Melbourne endorsed Koreatown as an official precinct in Melbourne – adding to the city’s existing multicultural hubs, such as Chinatown and the Greek Quarter.  Melbourne now joins global cities like Los Angeles, Toronto, New York and Sydney in having its own Koreatown.

The Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Melbourne funded the production and installation of the jang seung, with the council leading the project management.    

For more on where to get your chopsticks on some bangin’ Korean food, check here for our guide to the best K-BBQ in the city.

Images: City Of Melbourne | Supplied