Joy Sim came to America nine years ago from Korea with just $10,000 — enough to buy a car — and a dream of owning a clothing store.
She opened a business on a busy five-mile stretch of Baltimore National Pike in Ellicott City in an area already popular with Korean-owned mom-and-pop shops. Since then, more and more have opened, with international Korean franchises joining the mix. Over 150 Korean-owned businesses are located along the major highway in Howard County.
Now dubbed “Koreatown,” the area has been building momentum ever since. Two elaborate Korean palace-style signs mark its presence, more businesses are opening and the Howard County tourism bureau is spending thousands to promote it as a destination for tourists, diners and nearby residents. One of only a handful of Koreatowns in the United States, Howard County’s designation of the area is not just an economic driver but also a recognition of the large Korean and Asian population that resides in the affluent county.
“People are actually visiting the neighborhood because it is Koreatown,” Chloe Kim, the owner of Hyeban Korean BBQ & Sushi, said through translator and fellow business owner Soo Park.
