A home away from home

A restaurant offers taste from Seoul.[Photo by Wang Jing/China Daily]

A growing market

"China is a growing market in South Korea. Having a good command of Chinese means better job prospects in Seoul," she says.

Many local shops use Korean celebrities to attract Chinese customers. Even a street vendor selling grilled pig's feet displays a poster of Kim Soo-hyun in his window.

Popular Korean TV shows have become big business in Wudaokou. The drama My Love from the Star is insanely popular in China, and items related to the show are everywhere in Wudaokou, from bags, shoes, to lipstick, wristwatches, and glasses.

The Korean restaurant Seoul 798, on the third floor of Dongyuan Mansion next to the subway entrance, has an entire wall decorated with photos from Korean TV shows.

Sim Jung-bo, 32, is the owner of Barsak Chicken and Beer in the Wangjing district. "Korean students usually live in Wudaokou, but Koreans who have jobs in China tend to live in Wangjing, another major Korean community in northeastern Beijing," he says.

When Sim finished studying Chinese at the Beijing Language and Culture University in 2006, he sensed that there was a market for a new fried chicken restaurant in Wudaokou.