 | Seoul Shopping | Tips 1 - 10 of 182 |  |
 | |  |  | Myeongdong: Not pronounced My-young-dong | Tip Rating:   |  |  | |  |
The name gets a snicker sometimes when you first hear/read it, but it's not to be missed. Go on a weekend or holiday and especially in the warmer months (starting in late May)...this is when thousands of Korean students and young people head there for a day of eating (lots of restaurants, including Western ones), drinking (lots of hofs, too), shopping (many stores) and coffee drinking (rumored largest Starbucks in the world is right here!).
Like Namdaemun it stretches for quite a few blocks, turn around if you start to get into areas with fewer than 100 people on the street (you're outside of the Myoungdong).
Pretty much anything that a young person would want. Real and fake clothes (2 Adidas stores with 20-foot Beckham posters within a block of each other), accessories, tourist stuff. There are bazzar-department stores (like in Dongdaemun), chain fashion and other stores (like in the West) and street sellers (see What to Pay)
Bargain everywhere. Never pay full price, always 10%-20% should come off. Never take your wallet out until you have the price firm. Never get too excited about an item. Always show flaws or make up some option or color you would prefer (one that they cannot give, thus should give you a discount for not having it). Always buy 2 or more items...should get a 20% discount at least for that. If you get 30%-35% off consider yourself a local.
Not likely to get a discount in the Western/Chain stores, but worth a try. Leave a Comment Theme: Discount StoreAddress: Myoungdong Subway (Line 4) or any taxiDirections: Once off the subway go above ground (try to get out by one of the north exits, near Galleria). Then stroll into Myoungdong.
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| | | | Namdaemun (Great South Gate): Another Great Gate | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Nam (³²) is South, Dae (´ë) is great, mun (¹®) is gate: Great South Gate. Just get there and start walking. The market is bordered by massive streets but if you walk in and out of the blocks of stalls and shops you can find some little gems.
If you get a hankering for a real LV bag just go across the street to Shinsege Department Store (near the Bank of Korea building) but better bring a high-limit credit card.
Not as organized as Dongdaemun, this market is mostly outdoor with many, many sellers of bags/attaches/purses/luggage and about anything else one could need. Some good knock-offs here as well, but not in the shops...got to go to the more mobile sellers in the street for the best goods. For instance, LV belt (vinyl, but nice looking) 15,000 - 1,000 discount if buying 2 (see: What to Pay).
Also: TONS of clothing, some of which is fake, others are just low-priced.
Bargain everywhere. Never pay full price, always 10%-20% should come off. Never take your wallet out until you have the price firm. Never get too excited about an item. Always show flaws or make up some option or color you would prefer (one that they cannot give, thus should give you a discount for not having it). Always buy 2 or more items...should get a 20% discount at least for that. If you get 30%-35% off consider yourself a local. Leave a Comment Theme: Discount StoreAddress: Hoehyeon (Namdaemun) on Line 4.Directions: Taxi as well would know how to get there, but subway is best...just get above ground and ask anyone where Namdaemun market is.Website: http://hometownyeouido.blogspot.com/2004/11/lunchtime-near-namdaemoon.html
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| | | | Itaewon: Buying a Custom Suit (In Itaewon) | Tip Rating: | | | | |
If you're a Westerner and you walk down Itaewon Street (the main drag) especially the south (Seoul Pub) side of the street from Itaewon Station (line 6) toward Yongsan Garrison (U.S. Army base) you'll probably be approached by 5-15 older, shorter Korean gents looking to hook you up with a good custom rag. They have a number of lines: best quality, best price, best service, best whatever. I think they are, more or less, all the same. They act as agents for mills (usually in Dongdaemoon) that actually make the suit. (Of course, they ALL have the inside track to the best quality, price, service...)
Here's the deal. A suit will probably run you 200 USD (they always price in USD, no matter where you're from).You pick the fabric, style and such and it'll be ready for a fitting in 2-3 days (or maybe a week, dependiing...), then a final fitting a day or so later and you're done. All you need to do after that is call the dude from anywhere in the world and you can have a suit made and sent to you (but some get a fitting on a lay-over through Seoul, I imagine).
It's a pretty good service, but you should also know that when I buy off the rack (not in a department store, mine you, but the same stuff about a season behind) I get a good fit and it costs me about 300USD for 2 sets of a suit and extra suitpants. So, there are even better deals outside of Itaewon (where I find foreigners get fleeced a bit). But if you want convenience (English, USD) it's a good spot to shop. Leave a Comment Theme: Men's Clothes
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| | | | Other Shopping Info: Banding = Pant Hemming in Korea | Tip Rating: | | | | |
I got a pair of pants also and wanted them altered before I left. The guy said in the basement of a nearby building there was 밴딩/banding (Konglish for hemming, I gathered correctly). I thought I'd have to search the place to find one...but, in true Korean fashion, there were 7-8 down there. I just approached the one that was least busy and he got at it. The price was 4,000 won (3.60USD) and done in about 5 minutes. The guy I bought the pants from said it was 2,000 won but I wanted a cuff on it and was not energized to fight this guy for a couple of bucks (it costs 5,000 won for the dude to come to my apartment so what the heck).
Here's a tip in negotiating: if you need alterations (basically all dress pants and suits) then ask them to discount the price of the item you're buying. It works A LOT. This guy (begrudgingly) gave me 1,000 won off the pants (a whopping 14,000 won total price) so even when they don't want to they usually do.
2,000 won for a normal hem, 4,000 for a cuff on your pants. Leave a Comment Theme: Men's ClothesPhone: 02-757-3512Directions: It's under one of the buildings, basically no signage (definately not in English). Ask the sellers where you can get 'banding' done.Website: http://hometownyeouido.blogspot.com/2004/11/last-24-hours-or-so.html
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| | | | Dongdaemun (Great East Gate): Go to the Gates! | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Dong means East, Dae means big, Mun/Moon means gate--so you've got a Great East Gate. Dongdaynum has department-type stores (Hello apm and Galleria are big ones) that are more like indoor bazaars. Each of the 9-10 floors are made up of about 80 sellers of basically whatever you like (mostly clothes). There are other buildings housing home furnishings and other specialty shops (nice thing, they are all concentrated in one place, making shopping easier).
Outside there are many others hawking accessories, socks, toiletries (cheapest razors in Seoul, 1,000 won for 10...yes, less than US$0.10 each!), toys and food.
Everything is here.
Bargain everywhere. Never pay full price, always 10%-20% should come off. Never take your wallet out until you have the price firm. Never get too excited about an item. Always show flaws or make up some option or color you would prefer (one that they cannot give, thus should give you a discount for not having it). Always buy 2 or more items...should get a 20% discount at least for that. If you get 30%-35% off consider yourself a local. Leave a Comment Theme: Discount StoreAddress: Dongdaemoon Staduim Station (Lines 2,5,4) Exit #14Directions: Just get out at #14 (the busiest exit) and continue walking down the street. Hello apm and Galleria will appear on your left in a bit. Also check out the ji-ha-ba-do (street underpass/underground arcade) for more deals.
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| | | | Other Shopping Info: Travelling Bazaars | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Not a shop, but basically a bazaar consisting of men's and women's dress and casual wear, shoes (usually Nike or Asics is a title brand) and kitchen/misc items that makes its way around Seoul throughout the year. Usually it opens at a particular location on a Thursday and packs up on the following Monday (after 10-11 days).
Finding one can be tough. There are usually signs in the area a week or so before the sale noting the time, location and main brands. If you don't understand Korean/Hangul just tear a sign down and show a friend.
The deals are great, in most cases, but you have to know your quality and prices. I got a 675,000 won (USD 580) cashmere/wool overcoat for 150,000...that was nice. You can get shirts for 20,000-30,000; ties for 5,000 (poly) to 10,000 (silk) and suits that retail for 300,000 for cheap (I paid 350,000 for 2 suits with 2 extra pants each). Remember to haggle here. There is a 10-30% discount off their first price...and 60-80% off the retail price. (Best to bring a local or speak $$Korean to get the best deals.) Leave a Comment Theme: OtherDirections: Usually in Jung-no area, Yeouido area...others.
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| | | | Itaewon: Itaewon - Where the western folk shop! | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Itaewon is a mighty strange area. It is very western friendly, but also kind of third worldish at times. I love it because for a first time visitor to Seoul, it is a good place to ease into it. Many vendors speak english, during the day there is very little to zero crime, and there are actually some good buys on things....There is also Hwenson Lee!
The entire strip of Itaewan runs along one road, from the area of the Yongsan military base to where the road curves just past the "Thai Orchid". It is easily accessed by subway through the Itaewon station, and is on Line 6 which runs all over town! The area is a great place to duck into a restaurant (both western and Korean), buy Cd's (I highly reccomend SES or BoA), buy shoes, or visit the infamous Hwenson Lee!
Ok, I have teased enough about Hwenson Lee, time to let you off the hook. Mr. Lee is a tailor in Itaewon, who actually makes very nice suits at a good price. He has one and only one major customer though, Lucciano Pavoratti, yes, the Italian Opera Tenor. Mr. Lee is always happy to take a stranger off the street to show them his works, and his pictures of his most famous client. On all three of my trips to Seoul, I have been welcomed back into the shop to see pictures of Mr. Pavoratti. Again though, very nice suits.
Many of the vendors also reside on the street, where good deals can be had on everythign from Nike Shoes, to coats, to umbrellas (handy in the rainy season.) There is also a police station very close, and very public in case anything should go wrong while you are there. Plus, you can stick around for the western friendly nightlife. But be warned about interaction with the local women, this is an area where the women who may share a drink with you are on the job and looking for your money for their companionship.
The Korea Leather Center had some really great looking coats, and of course there are suits made by the tailor to Pavoratti!
It is hard to say. Many vendors are used to westerners with a set price, but I found I was able to haggle my own price on a lot of items, just by showing interest and then pretending it was too much. This probably won't work everywhere, but is worth a try. Your results may vary. Leave a Comment Theme: OtherDirections: Line 6 to the Itaewon station, any exit.
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| | | | Electronics: The E Mart | Tip Rating: | | | | |
The Electronics Mart, Or "E-Mart" is an interesting area of Seoul you gotta check out. A plethora of electronics, much cheaper than you'll find at those spacey stores back home. TV's, VCRs, DVDs, speakers, stereos, computers, you name it they got it. Get in a cab, and ask for the "E-Mart-e"
Of course, there are a few things to keep in mind. South Korean plugs mean you'll need an adapter if you don't use 2 prong 220V. DVD's are mainly region specified, so they only work for DVD's made for this region (You must ask for all region DVD players of specific regions). Adaptors and plug converters are all available. Leave a Comment Theme: Computers and Electronics
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| | | | Dongdaemun (Great East Gate): So you are looking for the best deal..... | Tip Rating: | | | | |
If you are really into shopping (like some people need a cigarette), then when you are in Seoul, you just have to go to Dongdaemun. It is one of the largest shopping districts in the world and has just about anything the heart could ever want.
Built in 1905, the market consists of 30 shopping centers and about 30,000 stores, and more than 50,000 manufacturing companies joined together to trade textiles, clothes, shoes, sports goods, stationery, toys, household goods, and accessories.
What makes this place really special is it is where most of the other shopping areas in Korea get their products. So you can come here and cut out the various middlemen and get the best deal on just about anything.
As an example, I purchased a Timberland-type Gortex parka here for $40 that would have cost me $250.00 easily in a retail outlet in the US. I got snow suits for my girls for only $20 (and they had to use them in the Korean and Nebraska winters).
Also, this market is literally open 24 hours. The retail portion is open from 10am to 6pm and the wholesalers portion is open from 8pm to 9am (so the early bird really does get the worm here)
As I said, just about everything. There is even a pretty cool pet section that sells everything from chipmunks to chimpanzees (I even saw some resus monkeys for sale there once).
It depends on how well you haggle and how much you buy if buying in bulk. Leave a Comment Theme: OtherAddress: Dongdaemun MarketDirections: right next to the 600 year old Dongdaemun Gate, right on subway line #4Website: http://www.dongdaemun.com/foreigntrade/english/
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