Merchandise and products, like prints of V from BTS, for sale at K-Pop Music Town at The Source mall.
(
Noé Montes
/
LAist
)
Topline:
The section of Beach Boulevard in Buena Park, from Orangethorpe Avenue to Rosecrans Avenue, was designated as Orange County’s second “Koreatown” in October.
Why it matters: The area has ballooned into a hub for hallyu, or “Korean wave.” The opening of CGV cinemas in 2017 was like an anchor in the area. It attracted other businesses, some are homegrown businesses while others are franchises like CGV Cinemas moving from South Korea. It also led to an influx of visitors to the region with Koreans and non-Koreans alike coming to CGV cinemas to watch the movie versions of the K-dramas they enjoy.
What's next: Jane Lee and Sean Ha of Yozm Donuts said designating Buena Park’s Koreatown will bring in additional visitors, particularly non-Korean Asian American communities.
“There's going to be a lot more non-Koreans coming to the area and just to see what it's like to ride the K wave,” Lee said.
Jane Lee’s earliest memory of Buena Park was traveling to Super 1 Mart Hannam Chain at the intersection of Beach Boulevard and Malvern Avenue for Korean food and groceries.
Now the area has ballooned into a hub for hallyu or “Korean wave.” Two more Korean grocery chains have since opened in the vicinity. Naturally, when Lee and her husband Sean Ha were scouting for a location for their donut shop, Yozm Donuts, they chose The Source O.C. on Beach Boulevard — the same shopping center where South Korea's CGV Cinemas is located.
Yozm Donut , a special selection of baked goods offered at The Bakery at The Source mall in Buena Park.
(
Noé Montes
/
LAist
)
Strawberry Milk Cream donut, one of the popular offerings at The Bakery.
(
Noé Montes
/
LAist
)
“We figured there was going to be quite a bit of the Korean community coming to The Source,” Lee said.
The opening of CGV cinemas in 2017 was no small matter. It attracted other businesses, from homegrown ones like Lee's Donuts, to South Korean franchises like Myungrang Hotdogs looking to establish a foothold in Orange County. It also brought an influx of visitors to the area — both Koreans and non-Koreans alike to watch movies from that country on the big screen.
Last month, that section of Beach Boulevard in Buena Park, between Orangethorpe Avenue and Rosecrans Avenue, was designated as the second “Koreatown” in Orange County. Leading the charge was Buena Park Councilmember Joyce Ahn, who has lived in the city for over 17 years.
Korean Language anti vaping electronic billboard in Buena Park.
(
Noé Montes
/
LAist
)
Exterior of The Source mall in Buena Park , a center for Korean culture in Orange County.
(
Noé Montes
/
LAist
)
Buena Park, she says, is home to more than 1,000 Korean businesses.
“I would say probably in the past 10 years is when we saw a big boom in the number of Korean businesses, so that's also brought the city a lot of tax revenue,” she said.
The patrons of these Korean businesses, she says, tend to visit otherBuena Park attractions like Medieval Times and Knott’s Berry Farm.
While Garden Grove in Orange Countyand Los Angeles have officially designated Koreatowns, Ahn says more and more businesses are choosing to set up shop in Buena Park.
“Buena Park is located at really, truly the center of the Southland. You know, we're close to 91 and 5 freeways,” Ahn said. “And we are like the connecting point between Orange County and L.A.”
Interior of LIfe Four Cuts, a photo booth business at The Source mall in Buena Park.
(
Noé Montes
/
LAist
)
Attracting non-Korean visitors
Lee and Ha of Yozm Donuts said the official designation will attract more non-Koreans and Asian Americans to the city.
“There's going to be a lot more non-Koreans coming to the area just to see what it's like to ride the K-wave,” Lee said.
Currently, the clientele at Yozm Donuts is 80% non-Korean. Lee says some have visited as far away as Rancho Cucamonga and San Diego.
“It really speaks to how much, one, they love donuts, or two, they want to see what this Korean wave is about,” Lee said. “And you know, as a Korean, I appreciate that a lot.”
The Bakery, an establishement at one of the food courts in The Source mall in Buena Park.
(
Noé Montes
/
LAist
)
The Bakery co-owner Jane Lee arranging baked goods at one of the food courts in The Source mall in Buena Park.
(
Noé Montes
/
LAist
)
Yozm Donuts is joined by a variety of Korean restaurants in Source Mall's food court. There are ones selling Korean fried chicken; Sundubu-jjigae, a soft tofu stew; gimbap, a seaweed rice roll with a protein, pickled veggies and sometimes egg; or tteokbokki, pillowy rice cakes cooked in a spicy, tangy sauce.
On a typical Friday night, it’s not uncommon to see families enjoying Korean food, while teens crowd the mall's trendy shops and boutiques.
Life Four Cuts photo booth business window display details.
(
Noé Montes
/
LAist
)
Skin care products for sale at Let's Fly 9, a fashion store in The Source mall in Buena Park.
(
Noé Montes
/
LAist
)
The new “stomping grounds”
In the mall's open courtyard, a troupe wearing coordinated outfits of black pants and red blazers ispracticing a K-pop routine.
23-year-old Evie Becerra, a dance instructor at the mall’s K-Pop Center, is filming the rehearsal with her phone. Becerra lives in the Inland Empire and makes the 45 minute to an hour drive to Buena Park at least four times a week for her work.
Becerra became interested in K-pop after BTS — the global K-pop sensation — performed at the 2020 Video Music Awards.
Coachella Valley resident Jasmine Grace in Buena Park for the K-Pop band ENHYPEN concert and shopping at K-Pop Music Town.
(
Noé Montes
/
LAist
)
She signed up for a program at the K-Pop Center that trains students to audition for music and entertainment companies in South Korea. During this time, she also began learning the language so she could understand the lyrics.
K-Pop, she said, resonates with her — unlike a lot of the mainstream American fare her peers are listening to.
Merchandise and producst for sale at K-Pop Music Town at The Source mall.
(
Noé Montes
/
LAist
)
Becerra calls The Source her “stomping grounds."
“We'll just eat here, go to the K-pop stores. I do spend a lot of money on K-pop stuff, but, you know, happiness,” she said, her face beaming.
The K-wave goes international
Esther Jang works at Let’s Fly 9, a K-fashion store at the mall. She thinks the COVID-19 pandemic helped tip the Korean wave into the American mainstream.
Architecture of The Source mall in Buena Park , a center for Korean culture in Orange County.
(
Noé Montes
/
LAist
)
The South Korean film Parasitewon Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2020, a month before pandemic stay-at-home orders went into effect. K-drama viewing tripled during the lockdown, according to Netflix. Squid Game, which debuted in 2021, is the most-watched show in the streamer's history.
But it wasn't just entertainment. Another pastime that gained popularity during that period was Dalgona coffee, a beverage that originated in Busan. In case you forgot, add two tablespoons of instant coffee, two tablespoons of sugar and two tablespoons of water — then whip the whole thing to a froth and serve it over milk.
In the O.C., Jang says new and old fans of Korean culture inevitably make their way to Source Mall — to shop the fashions, eat the food, and buy the CDs.
Buena Park, she says, connects Korean culture with the rest of the world.
