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Insa-dong Art Street
Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

Insa-dong has been situated at the heart of the nation’s capital for over 600 years and was at the center of culture during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The Insa-dong area usually refers to the areas extending from the Anguk-dong Rotary to Tapgol Park in Jongro 2(i)-ga, past the Insa-dong Intersection. The notable features of Insa-dong are the countless alleys that branch out from the main street. Insa-dong has also become known as ‘Merry’s Area,’ one of the favorite shopping spots among foreigners. Over forty percent of the nation’s antique stores are clustered in the Insa-dong area, and they sell more valuable antiques compared to any other places in Korea. The price of the valuables and souvenirs in this area can range from 10,000 won to some hundred million won. Among the antiques sold there are old pictures, pottery, wooden containers and jewelry. There is a variety of artwork varying from earthenware of the Unified Silla Era to white pottery of the Joseon Era. Foreigners from all over the world including Japan, China, France, and America frequent Insa-dong to witness a truly traditional Korean atmosphere. Prices range greatly depending on the customers and the items. Old books are usually popular among the Japanese and Chinese tourists who can identify Hanja (Chinese characters). Antique books are purchased by many visitors, from history professors to antique collectors, at prices varying from 10,000 won to 30,000 won. Highly valued items are not sold and even if they are displayed in the store, as some shopkeepers do not intend to sell them. Archaeology and history books are the most popular selections. Some items are priceless so shopkeepers often name their own price, but keep in mind that some stores do have price tags to indicate products for sale. Tongmungwan is a representative store selling old books and has been run by a family for three generations. When you enter this small bookstore, you can see old books packed in rows. This bookstore was originally opened by the grandfather of the current shopkeeper, and is living proof of Insa-dong’s long-standing history. This is definitely a place worth visiting even if you do not intend to make a purchase. Traditional Korean ceramic ware is the main artwork Insa-dong has to offer. It is also the most popular item among tourists. Ceramic ware can be used in everyday life and many also consider it an essential decorative item. Ever since Queen Elizabeth I of England visited Insa-dong in April 1999 and praised the beauty of the ceramic art forms, many tourists from all over the world, including Europe, America, and Japan have become interested in them. Prices may start at 10,000 won, but can cost you up to some 10 million won. The most popular ceramic ware are pottery in the shape of a gourd bottle, costing anywhere from 100,000 won to 200,000 won. Keep in mind that the finer ceramic ware boast a clear color and have a clear resonant sound when tapped with the tip of your fingernail. Famous shops include ‘Park Young Suk Yo’ where Queen Elizabeth paid a visit and ‘Haedong Godoja.’ The main artwork offered are the common porcelain ware that have been recrafted, and pots of the Joseon Era. ‘Haedong Godoja’ is known for selling the best quality ceramic ware. ‘Goseohwa’ (old paintings and calligraphic arts) is another main form of artwork offered in Insa-dong. There are shops selling old artwork along with oriental paintings, as well as modern paintings. Shops such as Dongmundang and Gonghwarang display and sell old paintings along with calligraphic works. Antique furniture and other items are available at Naraksil and Gayajae. Naraksil offers great quality antique furniture such as bookshelves and bookstands, while Gayajae sells old pieces of furniture, stone Buddhas, and tiles. Other popular antiques can be found at ‘Toto’s Antiques’ where there are contemporary articles from the period before and after the liberation of Korea from Japanese forces. Even though there isn't any traditional artwork at this store, Korean antiques are displayed picturesquely. Toto’s Antiques seems to arouse nostalgia among its visitors, as it is decorated with old schoolbooks, toys, and ornaments from the 50’s and 60’s. Sunday is designated a pedestrian-friendly day as cars are not permitted in the area for on that day of the week. Instead, a flea market opens on this day to sell various antiques, accessories, artwork, and books. Traditional antiques from different parts of Korea as well as international antiques brought by foreign tourists are displayed throughout Insa-dong, allowing visitors to view many items in one glance. It is highly recommended that you visit Insa-dong on Sundays since you can also view the beautiful street art. When shopping in Insa-dong, make sure you check where the product is made. Recently, cheap Chinese goods such as teacups, wall tapestries, and small accessories have been brought into the Insa-dong markets and there have been cases where merchandise thought to be made in Korea turned out to be marked as ‘Made in China.’ So if you are looking to purchase only authentic Korean products, be sure to check the label. 

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Namu by Namuhana
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.

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Over the Rainbow
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.

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Munjeong-dong Rodeo Street
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.

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Daegu Herb Wholesale Market
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.  

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Hope Market
Seoul(Mapo-gu) , Hongik-University-Area

Hongdae Hope Market first took place in May 2002 as Korea’s first spontaneous handicraft market. Originally created with the aim of reviving the environmental-friendly handicraft industry, the market developed into a truly interactive space where local artists make and sell their unique craftwork at affordable prices.

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Harrods Antique Gallery
Seoul(Yongsan-gu) , Itaewon・Yongsan

Harrods Antique Gallery offers a wide variety of items including Korean antique furniture, European antique furniture, lighting fixtures, and ceramics. As one of the main furniture shops in Itaewon, it boasts both an antique atmosphere and a comfortable shopping space.

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Bupyeong
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.

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Namdaemun Shopping Center
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.

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Maxtyle
Seoul(Jung-gu) , The Eastern Part of the Seoul

Maxtyle is an exclusive fashion mall and multi-purpose cultural space located at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), at the Dongdaemun Gate. Maxtyle is an exclusive fashion mall comprised of seven underground and eight aboveground levels. The mall was made from a renovation of the old “Heungin” and “Deokun” markets and has become a leader in both fashion and culture, providing customers with high-quality merchandise at a great price. The name, “Maxtyle,” is a shortened form of the phrase “maximum style.” 

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