From Japanese occupation to the world's largest department store

Entertainment · Published 8 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Shinsegae is a cornerstone of South Korean retail, evolving from a Japanese-era branch into a massive conglomerate. Beyond luxury shopping, the group manages everything from professional baseball teams to massive science museums, representing a significant pillar of the nation's commercial landscape.

The origins of Shinsegae trace back to 1930, when it opened as the Gyeongseong branch of the Japanese department store franchise Mitsukoshi during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Once the occupation concluded in 1945, Samsung Group founder Lee Byung-chull purchased the shop, rebranding it as Donghwa Department Store. The site functioned as an American military post exchange following the Korean War (1950–1953) until its 1963 renaming to Shinsegae. Following the conflict, the building served as a post exchange for American troops. It was eventually renamed Shinsegae in 1963.

The company has a complex history of corporate restructuring. Originally part of the Samsung Group, Shinsegae separated from the conglomerate in the 1990s, alongside other entities like the CJ Group. Today, it stands as one of South Korea's leading retail chaebols, competing directly with Lotte and Hyundai Department Store. The establishment's size is vast; its Centum City, Busan flagship became the globe's biggest department store in 2009, exceeding New York City's Macy's Herald Square with 3,163,000 square feet. The firm remains a major competitor against Hyundai Department Store Group. It also maintains a presence through its subsidiary, E-Mart.

Shinsegae's reach extends far beyond traditional retail. In 2021, the group expanded into sports by purchasing the SK Wyverns KBO League franchise for 135.2 billion won, rebranding them as the SSG Landers. The group also operates E-Mart, the country's largest discount store chain, and has diversified into science and art through unique complexes like the Daejeon Shinsegae Art & Science, which features a 193-meter-high observatory and a specialized science museum. The group's diverse interests include the Shinsegae Academy and the Shinsegae Gallery. Additionally, it manages the Daejeon Expo Aquarium.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• From gunpowder to space exploration: The evolution of South Korea's Hanwha conglomerate
• How a noodle trader built the world's largest conglomerate from a small Korean town.
• How a former sugar manufacturer became the architect of the global Korean Wave
• How a German literary character became a South Korean corporate titan
• The department store that birthed a global retail empire
• How one agency became a powerhouse of the Hallyu Wave
• The high-stakes culinary competition hidden inside your everyday refrigerator
• How a hesitant actor became South Korea's most versatile cinematic force
• A secret affair exposed by a promotion and a polaroid
• From physics student to Hollywood star: the meteoric rise and fall of Sylva Koscina
• How a 2008 startup became a powerhouse of the Korean Wave
• Can data mining prove a curse is actually just a cycle of social prejudice?

More in World cinema · More in Entertainment · Latest · A–Z · All topics