Lotte Department Store to illuminate Myeongdong area with purple lights for K-pop fans

▲ Concept design for the "Welcome Lights" lighting display at Lotte Town Myeongdong. Photo courtesy of Lotte Department Store. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, March 11 (Yonhap) -- Lotte Department Store said Wednesday it will light up the Lotte Town Myeongdong area with purple illumination to welcome global K-pop fans visiting the country.

Under the "Welcome Lights" project, the exterior walls of the retailer’s main store -- including its main and new buildings -- as well as the luxury shopping mall Avenuel Myeongdong will be decorated with bright purple lights.

The lighting display will run for four days from March 19-22, operating daily from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., creating a distinctive nighttime atmosphere to welcome K-pop fans and foreign tourists visiting Korea.

Alongside the lighting event, the company will host the "K-Wave Shopping Week" promotion for international customers.

The event will take place from March 19-29 at the Lotte Department Store main branch in Myeongdong, the Lotte Department Store Jamsil Branch and the Lotte Outlet Seoul Station Branch. The shopping spaces will be decorated with visuals inspired by the theme of welcoming global fans during a moment of the Korean Wave.

▲ Key visual design for the "K-Wave Shopping Week" event hosted by Lotte Department Store. Photo courtesy of Lotte Department Store. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Products popular among foreign visitors will carry a "Korea Only" tag, while QR codes summarizing major shopping benefits will be placed throughout the stores to help overseas customers easily access shopping information.

Various shopping incentives will also be offered to foreign customers. During the event period, those who spend above a certain amount will receive Lotte gift certificates equivalent to 7 percent of their purchase value.

At the K-fashion specialty zone "Kinetic Ground," some brands will offer a 10 percent discount, along with additional gift certificates worth 10 percent of the purchase amount, allowing shoppers to receive benefits totaling up to 20 percent.

To help visitors preserve memories of their trip to Korea, the retailer will also offer gifts reflecting Korean aesthetics. Foreign customers who spend more than 300,000 won in total on the same day will receive a traditional Korean cookie and spoon set, while those spending over 500,000 won will be given a snowman portable lamp featuring traditional Korean patterns, both on a first-come, first-served basis.

In line with the expected rise in foreign visitors, Lotte Department Store will also distribute a special leaflet for the K-Wave Shopping Week campaign. The leaflet will be distributed in cooperation with major road shops in Myeongdong and Roaming Man, China’s largest Wi-Fi rental brand.

The leaflet will include discount coupons offering 3-5 percent off purchases of fashion and sports items worth 200,000 won or more.

In addition, the Myeongdong main branch will operate a "K-GIFT Curation Zone" at its basement food hall from March 19-29 to enhance the K-culture shopping experience. The space will showcase gift products from 18 Korean brands, including Lotte Hotel Kimchi, arranged by category for easy viewing.

The store will also expand its K-food zone during the period to feature grocery products popular among foreign customers.

Meanwhile, the company said it will strengthen safety measures around the department store in preparation for increased crowds in the Myeongdong shopping district. The main branch will deploy about 1.5 times the usual number of safety personnel and establish response procedures for emergencies such as medical incidents or missing children.

It will also reinforce its safety management system by building an emergency communication network with related institutions.

Park Sang-woo, head of marketing at Lotte Department Store, said the company expects a surge in visits by global K-pop fans to Seoul this month.

“We prepared both the lighting display and K-shopping promotions centered around our Myeongdong main branch, which sits at the heart of the district,” he said. “Through differentiated shopping content and events that can only be experienced in Seoul, we hope to provide foreign visitors with a special experience.”

jwc@yna.co.kr

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