The City of Melbourne has unveiled Australia’s first traditionally crafted Korean totem poles to mark the opening of the city’s Koreatown.
The three-metre-high jang seung were hand-carved by a master craftsperson especially for Melbourne, standing guard over the new precinct at Healeys Lane.
Healeys Lane was chosen as the site for Koreatown because it’s already home to around 25 Korean businesses, mostly restaurants – making it a natural hub for Korean culture and cuisine in Melbourne.
Last year, the City of Melbourne endorsed Koreatown as an official precinct in Melbourne – adding to the city’s existing multicultural hubs, such as Chinatown and the Greek Quarter.
Melbourne now joins global cities like Los Angeles, Toronto, New York and Sydney in having its own Koreatown.
As part of its draft Budget 2025/26, Council will invest $150,000 to explore ways to create more pocket precincts in its neighbourhoods – including a ‘Little India’ and new seafood precinct in Docklands, as well as more community markets.
Traditionally, jang seung watch over daily life at the entrance to rural villages in Korea. Melbourne’s four totems were created by Master Jong-yeon Kim and will create photo moments that will be tagged and shared across the globe.
The Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Melbourne funded the production and installation of the jang seung, with Council leading the project management.
Koreans are one of the City of Melbourne’s top ten diaspora communities, with more than 2,500 Koreans calling the municipality home – and over 25,000 across Victoria.
South Korea is emerging as a must-visit destination for Melburnians, with a record 90,000 Australians visiting South Korea in 2022–23.
City of Melbourne Lord Mayor, Nick Reece, said, “Officially unveiling the jang seung at Koreatown fills me with so much jabusim – pride. Our growing Korean community is a vital ingredient in the successful melting pot that is multicultural Melbourne.
“Standing at almost three metres tall, the jang seung will welcome people to the precinct and create iconic moments for visitors to share with the world. They’re a bold invitation to visit daebak – awesome – Melbourne and experience one of our cool precincts,” Mayor Reece said.
“By formalising Koreatown, we aim to attract more visitors and businesses to the area – positioning it alongside Melbourne’s legendary streetscapes like Degraves Street, Chinatown and Hardware Lane.”
City of Melbourne’s City Economy and Business portfolio head, Councillor Kevin Louey, said that Koreatown will not only support the growth of Korean-owned businesses but also establish a vibrant destination that celebrates Melbourne’s multicultural identity, attracts visitors and drives economic activity in the precinct.”
Consulate-General of the Republic of Korea, Changhoon Yi, said that City of Melbourne’s official designation of the Healeys Lane precinct as Koreatown recognises the contributions and vibrant presence of the Korean-Australian community in the city.
“In collaboration with the City of Melbourne, the Consulate has worked to install a symbolic pair of Korean Jang seung – traditional guardian totems poles – at the entrance of Koreatown. The unveiling marks not just a physical landmark, but a celebration of cultural harmony and shared identity.”
