Many faces of Seoul's shopping culture
What
is the best city for shopping? You may think Hong Kong, New York, or Paris. However, Seoul is just as exciting a
place to shop - from luxury-brand shops and modern department stores to
traditional open markets and theme-based shopping streets, Seoul has a smorgasbord of
offbeat shopping centers and stores brimmed with items that lure shoppers around
the clock.
Seoul's traditional bustle
Like
the seafood market in Bangkok and the Sunday market
in Beijing, traditional open markets in Seoul are great places to
see the local culture and everyday life. The most popular traditional markets
in Seoul include Dongdaemun Market, Namdaemun Market, Pyeonghwa
Market, and Gwangjang Market, to name a few.
Among
them, Namdaemun Market is one of the oldest markets
in Korea. It was at the heart
of city life throughout the Joseon Dynasty and
remains so to this day. Covering an area of some 66,000 square meters, Namdaemun Market is a maze of alleyways thronging with over
300,000 local visitors and foreign tourists every day. The market is often said
jokingly to sell everything but "nuclear weapons and tanks" and get
you anything you want but "cat hones." This is the place you should
go to when you need something unusual.
While
Dongdaemun Market specializes in clothing for urban,
fashion-forward shoppers, Namdaemun Market focuses on
everyday goods for everybody. Crowds gathering around peddlers hawking cheap
goods, streets where one can sit side by side with total strangers and enjoy
noodles or fish snacks, and illegal money changers at every street corner make
up the unique atmosphere of Namdaemun Market. Namdaemun Market is accessible through various points,
including Hoehyeon Station on subway line 4 or from
any direction including Sungnyemun, Shinsegae Department Store, Namdaemun
Underground Mall, and the like.
A haven for collectors
There
are some 28 underground malls in Seoul. Among them, Hoehyeon Underground Mall near Namdaemun
Market brings nostalgia to discerning discophiles, as it is home to several
second-hand record shops with rare LPs from all music genres, from classical
music to pop songs. Klimt (02-777-8788), for
instance, has some 30,000 LP records and Living (02-778-8868) some 25,000.
In
addition to record shops, one can find shops for banknote and stamp collectors.
Korean stamps are known to be quite rare as not many of each type are issued.
U.S. President F. D. Roosevelt would have been right at home here. The mall is
open from 10 a.m. to 8
p.m. and near Ex. 8 of Hoehyeon Station.
Antiques
Itaewon is perhaps the most famous shopping street for
foreigners in Seoul. Most store owners or
clerks in this international shopping district have basic knowledge of foreign
languages, including English, Japanese and Chinese, so that foreign shoppers
can enjoy shopping there. Itaewon is particularly
well-known for its antique street with Burger King on the left across the
crossroad next to the exit 2 of Itaewon Station.
Visitors interested in furniture and decorative accessories may enjoy just
walking along the street lined with stores with furniture, cups and mugs,
pottery, dolls, and many more. Most of the shop owners are those who have
turned antique collecting as their hobby into a business. Here you can find a
variety of antiques and collectibles, including an 800,000 won antique
stroller, a 600,000 won necklace, a jade colored teapot that looks like some
100 years old, a 70,000 won chipped dish, and some 1,000 won old toys. Among
many stores, Barbaria (02-793-9032) stands out, as it
has the most antique furniture and accessories.
Luxury labels
The
5th Avenue and Madison Avenue in New York, Ginza in
Tokyo, Via Condotti in Rome, Faubourg
Saint-Honore in Paris, and New Bond Street in London
are some of the most famous and expensive shopping areas in the world. The 1 km
strip from Galleria Department Store to Cheongdam
Junction is home to the world's most expensive brand boutiques such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Ferragamo, and Armani, to name only a few.
Most
of these retail outlets in Cheongdam-dong are
operated directly by the brands. Their performance in sales may not be as good
as that of the shops in department stores, but they symbolize the pride of the
brands. They are the first places to unveil newly arrived items.
A touch of class
Large
department stores equipped with modern facilities include Shinsegae,
Lotte, Galleria and Hyundai. Famous luxury-brand
goods such as women's purses, scarves, and jewelry are unveiled in Korea at almost the same
time they are in Western shopping meccas like Paris and New York. Lotte
Department Store in Sogong-dong is a favorite place
particularly for Japanese tourists thanks to its convenient location and
outstanding service that has been ranked first in customer satisfaction. Shinsegae Department Store in the heart of Seoul, Chungmuro,
is Korea's oldest department
store and boasts tradition and customer trust. The Art Wall Gallery in Shinsegae Main Store features the "Gazing"
Exhibition (Dec. 10, 2008 ~ Feb. 20, 2009), a special exhibit of
still-life paintings, by young modern artists in Korea, providing visitors
an opportunity to enjoy art while shopping.
Galleria
Department Store in Gangnam is well-known for its
high-class atmosphere and extensive designer collections for sophisticated
shoppers. It offers upscale items at relatively low prices compared to high-end
stores in other countries. In addition, 18 foreign-language interpreters (12
for English, 3 for Japanese, 1 each for Chinese, French, and Italian) are on
standby to help foreign visitors. Most department stores in Seoul are open 10:30 a.m. through 8 p.m. and have a
fixed-price system with a quick refund and exchange policy. For more
information, contact 1588-1234 or http://department.shinsegae.com for Shinsegae Department Store, 02-771-2500 or
www.lotteshopping.com for Lotte Department Store, and
02-410-7114 or http://dept.galleria.co.kr for Galleria Department Store.
Source:
Korea Herald
