Please leave at least one day in Seoul for your shopping. Your visit to Korea can not be perfect without shopping. Korea may be one of the world's best-kept secrets as a place of low prices for quality goods. Myong-dong, South Gate Market and Itaewon where everything is sold are among the highlight spots for your shopping. Myong-dong is the fashion center of Korea and its neighboring blocks are department stores filled with carefully laid-out merchandises. Beneath these stores are the huge underground arcades that offers a fascinating subterranean shopping experience. And across the street is South Gate Market filled with small shops selling all kinds of Korean products. Itaewon, the most popular shopping street, to allow you to enjoy more of shopping. The shops and stalls of Itaewon are foreigner's bargain paradise. Here you can take your time and haggle over the price. For your information, listed below are in Seoul. In addition, there are numerous shopping malls and department stores including duty free shops around Korea.

What to buy
Amethyst, Clothing, Leather goods, Furs, Electronics, Ginseng, Antiques, Sports equipments, Pottery, Jewelry, watches and accessories, Suitcases, Hand bags, paintings, eel skin products, calligraphy, masks, wood crafts, crowns, lacquer wares, folk art crafts, chests, folk dolls, Shoes, brassware, chests, furniture, tailor made customs, etc.

Listed are some of the shopping spots of Seoul.

Myeongdong shopping street (10:00 - 19:00) 1st and 3rd Sundays
Local name : Myong-dong
Location : Right in the city center neighboring with most of the fancy department stores and South Gate market.
Hotels nearby : Royal is in the right place and King Sejong the other side.
Access : Subway line No. 2 at Euljiro 1-ka and subway line No. 4 at Myeong-dong station.
Items : High quality boutiques, shoes, suits, jewelry, accessory

Yongsan electronics center (10:00 - 20:00) 1st and 3rd Sundays
Local name : Yongsan Jeonja Sangka
Location : 5Kms south of downtown. 2,800 shops.
Hotels nearby : none
Access : Subway line No. 1 at Yongsan or line No. 4 at Sin Yongsan station. Both takes 7 minutes walk to the market.
Items : All of the electronic items, computers, soft ware, games, CD, notebook computers, phones, refrigerator, microwave, electric appliances.

Insa-dong Antique street (09:00-18:00) Open year round
Local name : Insadong
Location : 1 Km north of downtown
Hotels nearby : YMCA, Jongro Crown
Access : Subway line No. 3 at Ankuk station.
Items : Mostly antiques, pottery, paintings, calligraphy, handcrafts, wooden chest

Jangan-pyeong (Tapshimni) Antique shop (09:00-18:00) 1st and 3rd Sundays
Local name : Jangandong Kolttongpum Sijang
Location : About 10 Kms east of downtown. 150 shops
Hotels nearby : Kyongnam hotel.
Access : Subway line No. 2 at Sindap station.
Items : Ceramics, lacquerware, paintings, calligraphy, stone artifacts.

Gyeong-dong market (09:00-18:00) 1st and 3rd Sundays
Local name : Gyeongdong Sijang
Location : About 10 Kms northeast of downtown
Hotels nearby : Kyongnam hotel.
Access : Subway line No. 1 at Jegi station.
Items : Herbs and oriental medicine.

South Gate market (07:00 - 18:00) Sundays
Local name : Namdaemun Sijang
Location : Right in the downtown
Hotels nearb : Hilton, Radisson Seoul Plaza, President, Lotte, Royal, Koreana, King Sejong, Rex, Astoria, Savoy
Access : Subway line No. 1 and 2 at city hall and 7 minutes walk from the station. Also can be accessible by subway line No. 4 at Hoehyon station and 2 minutes walk.
Items : Almost everything from food stuffs, accessory, clothes, watches, souvenirs, glasses, jewelry, camera, households, kitchenware, hand bags, tools.

East Gate market (08:00 - 18:00) Sundays
Local name : Dongdaemun Sijang
Location : 5 Kms east of downtown
Hotels nearby : Eastern, Central, Sofitel, Shilla, Tower
Access : Subway line No. 4 at Tongdaemun or Tongdamu Undongjang station.
Subway line No. 1 at Chongro 5-ka station. As is the largest in the country with more than 5,000 shops. Any of above station is the market area.
Items : Almost everything from food stuffs, accessory, clothes, watches, souvenirs, glasses, jewelry, sports good, shoes, hand bags, silk, tools, bedding, household, lighting and illumination equipment.

Itaewon shopping street (09:00 - 21:00) Open year round
Local name : Itaewon. Most famous among the foreign visitors.
Location : 10 minutes from downtown by taxi or subway.
Hotels nearby : Hamilton, Holiday Itaewon, Crown, Capital, Grand Hyatt, tower, Shilla, Sofitel.
Access : Most of the hotel free shuttle run this marvelous shopping district from business hours.
Items : Eel skin purses, hand bags, shoes, suitcases, tailor made suits, T-shirts, wooden chests and furniture, leather jackets, pottery

Department stores
Galleria department store (10:30 - 19:30) 1st and 3rd Mondays
Hyundae department store (3 locations) Monday
Lotte department store (4 locations) Monday
Midopa department store (3 locations) Wednesday
Shisegae department store (4 locations) Thursday

Korean handicraft center (10:00 - 19:00) 1st and 3rd Sundays
And lot more shopping malls including duty free shops.