Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

The Choi Gi Soon Dackjongyi Doll Institute makes and displays Dackjongyi dolls (traditional Korean dolls). The dolls are made of special paper created from mulberry trees. Naturally, they ooze a unique scent that comforts visitors. This cozy gallery displays traditional Korean dolls from the past to the present. Visitors can watch and attend a craft class. The dolls can be leased for exhibition, purchased, or customized upon request. 


Seoul(Gangnam-gu) , Gangnam・Samseongdong(COEX)

Namu by Namuhana boasts handmade shoes that are extremely comfortable. It offers trendy items for young fashion leaders. High-qualiy items in practical styles have been wildly popular among customers. Customized shoes are available upon request so that customers can adjust the x_height of heels, change leather materials, and adjust insoles.


Daegu(Jung-gu)

The Daegu Yangnyeongsi (medicine market) is a major herbal medicine market specializing in the practices of Oriental medicine that dates all the way back to the Joseon Dynasty. During the era of the Joseon Dynasty, the Daegu Yangnyeongsi was at the center of the herbal medicine world, providing Oriental medicine to travelers from all around the world including Japan, China, Russia, Manchuria and many other countries. To this day, the Daegu Yangnyeongsi still flows with herb farmers, collectors, sellers, and buyers operating over 50 herbal medicine stores and 25 herbal clinics with 85 herbal medicine doctors, and 20 ginseng stores. The market is also known to be the first wholesale medicine market in Korea. The exhibition hall located on the 2nd floor of the wholesale market offers baskets used to collect herbs, ‘yakjanggi’ to store herbs, scales to measure the weight of the herbs, and old books on herbal medicine. The Medicine Festival is held every year in May and boasts a wide variety of fun-filled events like traditional folk music programs, an herb exhibition, and herb-cutting competitions.  


Seoul(Songpa-gu)

Munjeong-dong Rodeo Street is a large shopping district containing over 200 brand-name discount stores. The street is T-shaped, with a 1km-long main street connected to a 400-meter-long alley, and the Munjeong 1-dong Resident Center located at the center. For shoppers’ convenience, there is a public parking lot (if visitors purchase goods at Rodeo Street, they can park here for free) and a parking lot for foreign tourists only (free of charge). Munjeong-dong Rodeo Street is one of Korea’s major shopping streets with customers ranging from teenagers to adults, since discount stores stocking sports wear, casual wear, shoes, men’s and ladies’ suits, and golf wear are all located on this street. Moreover, this is a great place to find deals on famous brands, at prices lower than at a department store. On some items you can get discounts of up to 70-80%.Shopping TipsSince most of the goods are stock from previous seasons, it might be better to purchase the more classic styles rather than the trendy fashions. In some cases, the goods might have been slightly crumpled or stained during the transfer from warehouse storage, but taking them to the dry-cleaners should fix most problems. However you should be careful when looking at the sewing quality, and check for missing buttons.One more thing to bear in mind is the shopping season. Even discount stores have periods when stock runs low. The best time to shop is immediately after the stores in Rodeo Street restock their merchandise. This is done at about the same time as department stores. There is also an enormous variety of goods to choose from during the Rodeo Festivals in May and September. The purchased goods are exchangeable but non-refundable, so check the quality of the products carefully before you purchase them. In addition, Munjeong-dong Rodeo Street has a wide selection of restaurants and entertainment facilities. There are a number of pizza places, coffee shops, and food courts, as well as internet cafes and game rooms in the alleys behind the stores. Visitors can also relax in the surrounding parks. There’s a park with a 600-year-old zelkova tree right behind the Munjeong 1-dong Resident Center. Munjeong Rodeo Street is not just a shopping area; it’s a cultural area. The ‘Munjeong-dong Cultural Festival’ takes place every year in May, and the ‘Munjeong-dong Rodeo Festival’ takes place in May every other year. During these festivals, visitors can watch traditional Korean performances, traditional wedding ceremonies, international fashion parades, hip-hop dancing, and more. A charity sale is held on weekends and national holidays on the open-air stage of the Munjeong 1-dong Resident Center, and merchandise is sold for even bigger discounts.


Busan(Jung-gu) , Nampo-dong(Jagalchi Market)

Busan's Bupyeong Market is also known as Kkangtong (tin can) Market. It earned that funny name when it had a variety of imported canned goods from the United States for the US forces stationed in Korea during the Korean War. It was also known as ‘Dottegi (bustling plea) Market’. All the foreign products sold across the nation at that time were supplied from this market. Since this market is so large and had almost everything including foreign products which were rare at that time, it was also referred to as ‘Gukje (International) Market’. Nowadays, the market has reduced in size as many foreign products are freely imported, but the reputation and potential still remain. Some imported goods including liquor, clothes, ornaments, accessories, fashion items and electronic goods are still sold here.A night market opens from 18:00-24:00 at the public parking lot and at Arcade 2 of the market . Along the 110m-long street market are 11 kiosks selling Korean food, 6 kiosks selling international food such as Japanese and Filipino foods, and 13 vendors selling clothes and accessories. The entrance of the market greets visitors with bright LED lights and fun performances. A magic show and a guitar performance take place twice a day by the entrance of the market and the at the four-way intersection inside the market.


Seoul(Yongsan-gu) , Itaewon・Yongsan

Over the Rainbow is a popular eyewear shop among young people. It boasts colorful items matching well with ever-chaging seasonal clothing. New items appear every two months. Thanks to its fast services from eye exams to fitting services, Over the Rainbow has attracted many loyal international tourists.


Gyeongsangnam-do(Geochang-gun)

The Lotte Department Store Ulsan Branch, situated in Ulsan-si Nam-gu, provides a 9-theater cinema complex and Korea’s largest public Ferris wheel that overlooks the East Sea. The Ulsan branch also houses themed restaurants, a multi-plaza, and a 4,628m² Lotte World Plaza that is connected to the department store for cultural events from all over the world, providing a high-quality shopping experience for the citizens of Ulsan. Store hours are from 10:30am to 8:00pm with extended hours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It is closed for one Monday a month.


Seoul(Jung-gu) , Namdaemun・Seoul-Station

Thanks to its rich history, Namdaemun Shopping Center boasts not only an impressive array of items, but items not available elsewhere. For instance, visitors can find all kinds of hard-to-get camera parts and accessories. Local products from across the country are also readily available in Namdaemun Shopping Center.


Gangwon-do(Sokcho-si)

Having recently changed its name to Tourist & Fishery Market (formerly Jungang Market), this market was opened in 1982, and is comprised of around 450 stores throughout 1 basement level and 2 above-ground levels. It covers a total floor area of 15,436 ㎡. Fishery items and hoetjip (raw fish restaurants) are located on the basement level, and general whole sales and retail sales, such as food and clothes, are available on the first and second floors. In addition, many of Sokcho's famous snacks like dak-gangjeong (sweet and sour chicken) are found at many of the stalls inside the market.


Gyeonggi-do(Gwangmyeong-si)

Lotte Premium Outlets - Gwangmyeong branch is an unban shopping venue that is combined with IKEA, the first Korean branch of the global furniture store, and Costco. The Gwangmyeong branch is conveniently located at the meeting point of four roads - Seohaean Expressway, Gyeongin Expressway 2 and 3, and outer circular road as well as KTX Gwangmyeong Station.