What: Hyundai Department Store launches its first pop-up in Taiwan and prepares to open a permanent store in Japan, marking a major step in its international expansion and K-brand promotion strategy.

Why it is important: Hyundai’s international push reflects a broader trend of Asian retailers seeking growth beyond saturated domestic markets by exporting innovative retail concepts and K-brands.

Hyundai Department Store is accelerating its international expansion with the launch of a three-month pop-up at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi in Taipei, the first such initiative by a Korean department store in Taiwan. Running from October to December 2025, the pop-up will feature eleven Korean brands on a rotating basis, targeting younger consumers and leveraging the strong influence of Korean culture in Taiwan. This collaboration with Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, which attracts 100 million annual visitors across 15 outlets, is part of Hyundai’s broader strategy to promote K-brands globally and tap into new markets. The company is also preparing to open its first permanent The Hyundai Global retail shop in Tokyo’s Parco Shibuya, marking a significant milestone in its Japanese expansion. These moves come as Hyundai and other Korean department stores face stagnating domestic growth and intensifying regional competition, prompting a shift toward experiential retail and cross-border partnerships to sustain momentum.

IADS Notes:

Hyundai Department Store’s launch of a three-month pop-up in Taiwan and its first permanent store in Japan reflects a broader wave of international expansion and K-brand promotion among Korean department stores. As reported by The Chosun Daily in June 2025, Shinsegae’s K-beauty pop-up at Printemps Paris exemplifies how Korean retailers are leveraging pop-up formats and cultural appeal to connect emerging brands with global consumers . The June 2025 partnership between Hyundai and Japan’s Parco, also covered by Press Release, highlights the importance of cross-border collaborations for successful market entry and cultural exchange . The Chosun Daily’s June 2025 report on Hyundai’s investment in K-fashion startup Mediquarters and the launch of The Hyundai Global platform in April 2024 demonstrate the group’s commitment to supporting Korean brands’ overseas growth and adapting to regional opportunities . Taiwan News in January 2025 noted that experiential retail and curated pop-up models are becoming central to Asian department store strategies, as seen in Mitsui’s expansion in Taiwan . Finally, Maeil Business Newspaper’s January 2025 analysis of stagnating sales in Korea and Inside Retail’s May 2025 report on rising department store shares provide context for Hyundai’s push abroad and the intensifying competition among Asian department stores .

Hyundai will become first Korean department store to launch pop-up in Taiwan