Shinsegae and Doosan, which won licenses to operate their first tax-exempt retail outlets in Seoul last year, will open their new duty-free stores in mid-May.

The two duty-free operators plan to open their stores on May 18, though the date may vary by a day or two, depending on the stores’ preparation progress, the companies said Sunday.

Shinsegae has so far secured a number of global luxury brands including Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Mocler to its new store, which will span the top five floors of the main Shinsegae Department Store in central Seoul.

However, the South Korean retail company has yet to bring in the top-three high-end luxury houses Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton — brands which other Korean duty-free operators have also been competing to attract.

Meanwhile, Doosan’s new duty-free store will open on the top nine floors of Doota, a shopping mall complex near Dongdaemun Market in central Seoul. Doosan also has yet to attract the top-three luxury brands to its shop.

To drive up its appeal, Doosan has tapped actor Song Joong-ki, who played the male lead in KBS’ hit TV series “Descendants of the Sun,” as the main model for its new duty-free shop.

As the Korean TV series was immensely popular in China, Doosan expects Song’s presence to lend a hand in promoting its new store to many Chinese tourists.

Shinsegae and Doosan currently make up two of nine tax-exempt retail outlets in Seoul. The two beat Lotte Duty Free and SK Networks to grab their operational licenses last year, when the government changed its policy on duty-free shops.

However, the government announced last Friday that it will allow four more duty-free shops to open in Seoul to meet growing demands from Chinese tourists. The decision will raise the total number of tax-free outlets to 13 by the end of this year.

By Sohn Ji-young (jys@heraldcorp.com)