Where the Neighborhood Still Says Hello: Korea’s Supermarket Culture

The Store That Held a Neighborhood Together

Long before Korea became a country of bright 24-hour convenience stores, every neighborhood had a small supermarket that quietly held the community together. These neighborhood supermarket shops(동네 슈퍼마켙) weren’t just places to buy snacks or daily groceries. They were familiar rooms of warmth—spaces where the owner knew every kid’s name, where neighbors shared stories, and where time moved just a little slower.

Growing up in the 90s, I remember walking home from school and stopping by the local shop with a handful of coins. My friends and I would debate which 100-won snack to buy, while the owner asked how school was going or whether my grandmother was feeling better.

If my mom needed eggs or rice, I’d be the one running the errand. And like many Korean kids back then, I even went to buy my father’s cigarettes—no ID check needed. Not because rules were loose, but because the owner already knew exactly who my father was.

These shops were more than stores. They were gathering places, community message boards, and sometimes the closest thing a neighborhood had to a living room. Even now, as convenience stores multiply on every corner, a handful of these old supermarkets remain. They stay alive not through speed or price, but through something far more enduring ‘human connection’.

Meet Goodmate: Kim Hyotae at Hapdeok Supermarket in Itaewon

Walk up the hill in Itaewon and you’ll find a small storefront that looks like time chose to slow down around it. This is Hapdeok Supermarket, run by Mr. Kim Hyotae—who has stood behind the counter for more than fifty years.

“When I first came here, there were no buildings on one side of the street,” he recalls.
“Just old Korean houses and families who all knew each other.”

Even with large convenience stores nearby, people still choose to come to Hapdeok. Young residents stop by simply to check in, asking how he’s doing or whether he’s staying warm. Those moments, he says, are what make his work meaningful—those small gestures of kindness that remind him why he keeps the store open.

Mr. Kim is now over eighty, and though he sometimes wonders when he might step back, he continues showing up every morning.

“I enjoy what I do,” he says.
“That’s what keeps me healthy.”

His story is the story of many Korean neighborhoods that places shaped less by buildings and more by people who stay, year after year, welcoming familiar faces and new ones alike.

A Window Into Local Life for Travelers

In Korea, these corner shops offer something modern convenience stores can’t: a chance to witness how Koreans build community through everyday interactions.

For travelers, stepping into an old neighborhood supermarket is like opening a door into the past. The shelves may be simple, and the store may be small, but the warmth is unmistakable. It’s where neighbors greet each other without rushing, where stories pass casually between the counter and the doorway, and where a sense of belonging lingers in the air.

These places show that Korea isn’t just about big cities and fast trends. It’s also about people like Mr. Kim who keep a neighborhood’s rhythm alive simply by staying in place. Book our Dive into Korea tour and step into this living legacy.

Come curious. Stay a little longer. Some places are meant to be felt, not just visited.