The main purpose of this thesis is to investigate the multicultural character of Itaewon space in procees of development of Korean History. As the starting point of Treaty of Gangwhado, this Article classified into the period of premodern, modern and present ages, and after 2007 that the population of foreign residents in Korea reacheded a million in.
In the premodern era, Itaewon was located at the foot of Namsan in Seoul, and was the first government office which headed for Yeongnam-ro(嶺南路) from Seoul. Since the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592, the Imjin War, because Japanese subject by nationalization and people of mixed blood resided in Itaewon , this was called Itaewon(異泰院). In the Hyojong era, as there is many pear trees, this is changed Itaewon(梨泰院), a current name.
In the period of modernㆍcontemporary, Itaewon strongly has revealed military character as a post of foreign army. The army of Ch'ing that attempted to suppress the Im-O Military Revolt (in 1882) was stationed at Itaewon from 1882 to 1884, in the period of Japanese colonial rule, it was a post of the headquarters of Japanese army. Since Korea gained independence, the U.S military bases in Korea have been built in this area. After the Korean War, with posts of U.S army as the center, as business district of Itaewon was formed so it was reborn an amusement center of U.S.A and then clubs sprang up everywhere. Since 1960s, embassies from all over the world moved into Itaewon, therfore till 1970s exclusive residence complex was maded. Entering 1970s, shopping district for foreigners was formed, and at the time of 88 Seoul olympic the numbers of shops in Itaewon amounted to 1,800 so Itaewon as the center of shopping was received attention. In the late 1990’s, as the numbers of tourists and immigrant workers of the Japanese, Chinese, Southeast Asian, African, and Middle Eastern regions increased , Itaewon as the Special Tourist Zone of people all around the world has changed from a street of the U.S forcescentric into a place of 'fusion' that things traditional, modernistic, global and korean are mixed in.
And in today's Korea that rapidly has entered a multicultural society, as diversity racesㆍreligionsㆍcultures are mixed in Itaewon, a certain of space of the capital city Seoul, Itaewon has transformed into a multicultural zone which ensures and maintaines each cultural territory just one piece.