A fixture in Koreatown for nearly 40 years, the Western Department Store holds significance in Korean-American immigration history as the only place in the neighborhood operating in the form of a swap meet.
Amid news of a mixed-use apartment building development planned for the site, business owners in the shopping center are maintaining business as usual.
At noon on March 27, the parking lot of Western Department Store buzzes with customers’ cars.
“Customers think we’re closing right away, but that’s not the case,” said Minyoung Choi, president of the Western Department Store’s merchants’ association. “The development isn’t happening right away, and it’s still in the application stage, so it’s business as usual for Western Department Store owners.”
Presently, there are over 30 business owners at the Western Department Store. Upon learning about the construction through local news reports, they expressed disappointment.
In fact, anticipation had already been in the air. In 2021, a notice was posted at the Western Department Store about building renovations.
“At that time, the landlord and the business owners had a conversation, and it was said that Western Department Store could be developed for the future, which everyone knew to some extent,” Choi said. “The world is changing, and everything goes with the times, so the business owners understand the landlord’s intention.”
However, this doesn’t signify that the Western Department Store will be demolished or closed anytime soon. Although the building’s owner, Kenneth Lee, submitted a redevelopment plan to the Los Angeles Department of City Planning on March 21, it will take some time for the project to be implemented. Lee informed the merchants’ association of this on March 26 and urged business owners not to panic.
“We have been told that the development is still in progress and that it will take a considerable amount of time,” Choi said, adding, “Until then, Western Department Store will remain open, and the owners will continue to operate, so we hope customers will continue to come.”
The Western Department Store, which opened in 1987 near 9th Street on Western Avenue, was a haven for Korean Americans seeking goods made in Korea and a nostalgic connection to their homeland.
In recent years, the presence of first-generation immigrants at Slauson Supermall, a popular swap meet in Los Angeles with many Korean-American shops, has gradually diminished. Additionally, news of the Western Department Store’s redevelopment is disheartening for Korean Americans, as many swap meets are closing one after another.
“Western Department Store has been a nostalgic place with the hometown feeling of Korea for immigrant life,” said Youngsoon Yoo, 64, who visited the department store. “I don’t know when it will be gone, but until then, I will continue to come here.”
The Korea Daily attempted to reach out to the building’s owner for comment but did not receive a response as of March 27. DFH Architects released a bird’s-eye view of the six-story mixed-use apartment building, titled ‘870 Western,’ which will rise on the site of the Western Department Store. The modern podium-style apartments are clad in metal panels, cement plaster, fiberboard, and porcelain tile, with amenities including a rooftop deck, garden, and clubroom.
BY YEOL JANG, HOONSIK WOO [jang.yeol@koreadaily.com]
