An AK Plaza department store located in Bundang-gu
AK Plaza (Korean: AK플라자) is a South Korean department store franchise owned by the Aekyung Industrial Co. Ltd.
History
Hyung-suk Chah (채형석) began construction of the first department store in March 1991 in Guro District, Seoul.[2] The store opened on September 10, 1993, as the Aekyung Department Store.[1] The store had five basement floors and seven aboveground floors, with a total cost of 120 billion won (120 million US dollars).[1] The success of the Guro store was allegedly used as the basis for opening other branches.[3]
In July 2000, Aekyung Group was chosen to open a store in Incheon International Airport after Hotel Shilla gave up its subcontractor rights. The store was opened on March 29, 2001, as the 'AK Duty Free.' It was the first AK duty-free shop.[4] The Aekyung Group opened an Aekyung Department Store branch in Suwon on February 14, 2003. The store had one basement floor and six aboveground floors. It was the biggest civilian construction in South Korea at that time.[5]
In March 2007, the Aekyung Group took over ₩470 billion's ($461,596,000) worth of intermediary business from Samsung C&T Corporation, including the Samsung Plaza, the first department store in Bundang-gu[6] which had opened on November 1, 1997.[7]
On February 3, 2009, the Aekyung Group announced it will change its brand image to AK Plaza.[8] The logo of Aekyung Department Store, Samsung Plaza, and the online site was changed AK Plaza on March 2.[9]
The Pyeongtaek branch was opened on April 24, 2009, as the fourth store.[10] The Wonju branch was opened on April 6, 2012,[11] with 5 basement stories and 7 above ground stories,[12] though the company website claims it was opened on March 6.[3]
^Bak (박), Chul-gun (철근) (August 24, 2009). "[컴패니줌업] AK플라자, BI 변경으로 재도약" [[Company Zoom-up] Ak Plaza, New Takeoff with BI Change] (in Korean). Retrieved August 19, 2014.
^ ab"애경유통 현황" [Aekyung Distribution Business Current State] (in Korean). AK Members. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
^Lee (이), Jae-wung (재웅) (March 28, 2001). "애경그룹, 면세점사업 진출" [Aekyung Group, Goes into Duty-free Shop Business]. Yonhap (in Korean). Naver Corporation. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
^Kim (김), JongHyun (종현) (November 3, 1997). "<약수터> 삼성플라자'개점매출 일단 성공'" [<Spring> Samsung Plaza 'Opening Day Income Success for Now'] (in Korean). Yonhap. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
^Im (임), MiNah (미나) (February 2, 2009). "애경百.삼성플라자 `AK플라자'로 통합" [Aekyung Department store. Samsung Plaza, integrated as 'AK Plaza'] (in Korean). Yonhap. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
^Song (송), YoungTak (영택) (March 2, 2009). "애경 유통부문, AK플라자 변경 기념행사" [Aekyung intermediary business, celebratory festival on changing to AK Plaza] (in Korean). (주)이비뉴스 Co., Ltd. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
