K-Pop Nara officially opened its new, expanded location in Koreatown this past week, marking a major milestone for the beloved local shop and the K-pop community it serves.
Hundreds of fans gathered throughout the weekend from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1 to celebrate the opening and the store’s EXO-themed pop-up at 1237 Broadway. The festivities included freebies such as stickers, scratch cards, tote bags, and exclusive sales. Long rooted in the heart of K-Town, K-Pop Nara has grown from a small mom-and-pop shop into a national retail chain spanning 10 cities.
What began as a simple dream for founder Lina Yi in her hometown of Southfield, Michigan, has evolved into a nationwide enterprise with locations in New York, Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Michigan, New Jersey, Orlando, and Woodfield. Yi told amNewYork that K-Pop Nara was created to share Korean culture and provide a welcoming community for fans. As the K-pop genre expanded into mainstream music and gained global momentum, the growing demand opened new doors for the brand.
“When people started coming to the shop from all over the United States, I realized the K-pop community was really underserved,” Yi said.
K-Pop Nara opened its first New York location in a small space at 32nd Street and Broadway, but as the genre exploded, driven by groups like BTS, Big Bang, EXO, and others, Yi knew that New York City’s cultural melting pot needed a larger, more immersive destination.
On Jan. 30, Yi proudly unveiled the new flagship space, designed to host photocard trading events, artist signings, meet-and-greets, exclusive albums, and merchandise. The store has also partnered with Photoism, a Korean-style photobooth experience that allows visitors to pose alongside digital cutouts of their favorite idols.
Yi credits K-Pop Nara’s loyal customers for its continued growth, noting that the store frequently partners with artists to create customized pop-ups for each album release, giving fans a deeper, more interactive experience.
“We have fans coming from other countries, Brazil, France, everywhere,” Yi said. “We wanted to represent K-pop in the U.S. the best way possible, which is why we invested in this new space. The design is very fan-centric. We asked ourselves how we could make it easier for fans to discover and find what they’re looking for, so we combined the concept of a bookstore with a novelty shop.”
For fans like 11-year-old Paige Cohen, K-Pop Nara feels almost magical. After attending her first K-pop concert at Madison Square Garden this past fall to see Katseye, Cohen says her passion for the genre has only grown.
“I was first introduced to K-pop by a friend who showed me NewJeans, and now I love it,” Cohen said, clutching a limited-edition pink, bejeweled ILLIT shirt and a NewJeans Get Up Bunny Beach Bag. “I discovered ILLIT a couple of months ago, too, and I love them.”
Longtime shoppers, Queens native Karen Zeng and Manhattan resident Naomi Ozuna, were equally impressed by the new location, where they emphasized their amazement by the expanded merchandise selection and increased space for fan activities.
“It’s a lot of fun here. You meet so many people, and there’s so much to do with all the pop-ups,” said Zeng, 28. “I’m really glad there’s more space now so we can enjoy the activities and shop comfortably.”
“For me, K-pop means togetherness,” added Ozuna, 31. “I met all of my best friends here. Before, it was really cramped. Now we have screens, a photo booth, and room to actually experience everything.”
With visits from artists such as BIBI, RIIZE, Big Ocean, CORTIS, and YVES, K-Pop Nara’s new flagship signals even bigger plans ahead, continuing its mission to create lasting memories for fans in the heart of New York City.
