I’ve lived in South Korea going on 3 months now and I’ve explored many places in the Gyeonngi province/Seoul area. Here are a few hotspots to check out whether you’re visiting for a short time or staying a while.
Dongdaemun
Dongdaemun (dong-day-moon) is the largest shopping center in all of Asia and consequently the perfect place to go for all your shopping needs. There is a large market that specializes in fabrics. You can literally buy any fabric your heart desires at a very low price. In addition to the fabric center, there are lots of malls and shopping centers all located next to each other. Each mall has a plethora of stores with goods for women, men, children, the home, etc. There is also lots of food to choose from – restaurants, street vendors, dives, cafe’s and food courts. In addition to old Pyeonghwa Market, the large recently opened shopping malls such as Doota, Migliore, and Hello apM. You’ll find lots of 20/30 somethings here. Also, most malls/stores are open throughout the night – so make a night of it! 🙂
Jamsil Station/Lotte World
Lotte World can be found at Jamsil (Jahm-shul) station and is as big as a small city! It offers department store shopping, an amusement park (the biggest indoor amusement park in the world), a sports center, a skating rink, food, folk museum, hotel and plenty of shopping. Most everything is indoors and there are lots of things to look at. This is definitely a one-stop shop and very easy to find!
Namdaemun Market
Dongdaemun tends to cater to the fashion-minded people. Namdaemun (nahm-day-moon) is a great place to check out if you’re looking for a bit more variety. It offers a great deal of goods ranging from clothing, ceramics, accessories, bedding and even household goods. Check out nearby department stores including: Lotte (loh-tay) department store as well as the Shinsegae (Shin-say-gay) department store.
Gwangjang Market
If you’re looking for a traditional Korean items to pick up then Gwangjang (gwahn-jahng) market is the place to go. Here you will find Hanboks, the traditional Korean outfit, linens and handcrafted goods. The prices here are fairly low and there is plenty to see, even if you’re just window shopping!
You can also treat yourself to some traditional Korean food, such as bindaetteok, Korean pancakes (they aren’t like Western pancakes!).
Garak Wholesale Market
Garak is popular destination for foreigners and Koreans alike. It was opened in 1985 and offers a ton of fresh produce and animal products. There are also auctions for these items that offer quite an experience!
Traditional Markets
There are traditional markets in every city (“si”) and they are easy to find because they stand out. Even if you don’t plan on buying anything, traditional markets are a great place to go for the cultural experience. Things are very cheap at these markets (when I say very cheap I mean VERY cheap) and there is everything you could imagine. If you buy food you will likely need to do so in bulk. There are also trinkets and other Korean goods as well as home needs and food vendors.
Department Stores – Emart
E Mart is the equivalent to the US Target, but keep in mind that the two are very very different! It is built vertically, as are most Korean stores/buildings, and each level offers something new. You can pretty much everything you need here, including a photo-station, food court, pharmacy, electronics, clothing, food, pets and supplies, etc. I recommend trying this out just for the experience – especially when buying groceries. There are people shouting everywhere, eager for you to try their items! This is great because you get to try Korean cuisine for free and find out what you like before buying it!
*If you take a cab or are asking how to get to “E-Mart” don’t say “ee-marrt” like you would in English. They pronounce it “Ee-mah-tuh” and every taxi driver will know what you are talking about.
