Must-see shopping in Seoul

  • 10 Corso Como Seoul

    Gangnam & Southern Seoul

    Inspired by its shopping complex in Milan, this outpost of the fashion and lifestyle boutique is about as interesting as Gangnam retail can get. The blend…

  • Free Market

    Seoul

    Going strong since 2002, this lively weekly market helps to propel talented young creatives on to big-time retail. It's a great opportunity to meet the…

  • su;py

    Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul

    See what's coming next in Korean fashion at this fabulously well-designed boutique, which offers streetwear, gifts and bags on the ground floor and more…

  • Kyobo Bookshop

    Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu

    Kyobo's flagship branch sells a wide range of English-language books and magazines (you'll find them on the left from the main entrance), as well as…

  • Korea, Gyeongsangnam-do, Busan, Shinsegae Centum City, Food in Shinsegae department store - the Worlds largest shopping and entertainment center

    Shinsegae

    Myeong-dong & Jung-gu

    Wrap yourself in luxury inside the Seoul equivalent of Harrods. It’s split over two buildings, the older part based in a gorgeous 1930 colonial building…

  • Insa-dong Maru

    Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu

    Around 60 different Korean designer shops selling crafts, fashion and homewares are gathered at this slick complex. Spread over several levels, the…

  • D-Cube City

    Seoul

    Seoul’s shopping malls hardly come any more stylish than this one in the previously industrial hub of Guro. The interior spaces surround a waterfall that…

  • Key

    Seoul

    Representing scores of artists and craftspeople, several of whom also sell their goods at the Free Market on Saturday, this small gallery and showroom…

  • Gentle Monster

    Seoul

    Sunglasses at night is the Hongdae look and this hip place is where to pick up the edgiest of shades and frames as worn by K-Popsters and TV stars…

  • KCDF Gallery

    Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu

    The Korean Craft and Design Foundation’s gallery showcases some of the finest locally made products, including woodwork, pottery and jewellery. It’s the…

  • Seoul Yangnyeongsi Herb Medicine Market

    Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul

    Also known as Gyeongdong Market, Korea’s biggest Asian medicine market runs back for several blocks from the traditional gate on the main road and…

  • Yongsan Crafts Museum

    Itaewon & Yongsan-gu

    A fantastic place to buy top-quality traditional Korean handicrafts like hanji (Korean paper) ornaments and baskets, najeon (inlaid lacquerware),…

  • Stylenanda Pink Hotel

    Myeong-dong & Jung-gu

    One of the most popular brands for affordable, young women's casual fashion, Stylenanda's flagship store is especially notable for its pink design. The…

  • Pleasure Lab, store exterior

    Pleasure Lab

    Gangnam & Southern Seoul

    The second location of the first sex shop in South Korea designed for women, Pleasure Lab does its best to make sure that women feel safe to ask any…

  • Galleria shopping centre and big brand stores, Gangnam.

    Galleria

    Gangnam & Southern Seoul

    One of Seoul's most luxurious department stores. If you want to play Audrey Hepburn staring wistfully into Tiffany’s, don a Helen Kaminski hat, try on a…

  • Dongdaemun Market

    Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul

    The bargaining never stops at this colossal retail and wholesale cluster, best visited at night when local buyers come clamouring for deals. The…

  • Doota

    Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul

    Cut through Dongdaemun’s commercial frenzy by heading to its leading fashion department store, which is full to the brim with domestic and foreign brands…

  • Pyounghwa Clothing Market

    Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul

    Part of Dongdaemun Market, the Pyounghwa Clothing Market is a mind-bending warren of identical stalls selling clothes, fabric and accessories. You've got…

  • Dapsimni Antiques Market

    Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul

    One for serious collectors, this sprawling collection of antique shops is spread over three separate precincts. Here you can browse through old dusty…

  • Vinyl & Plastic

    Itaewon & Yongsan-gu

    Vinyl is alive and kicking at this warehouse-sized music store that invites you to listen to the latest releases on a dozen or so turntables before buying…

  • COEX Mall

    Gangnam & Southern Seoul

    One of Seoul's premier malls and the world's largest underground mall, the shiny COEX is a vast maze of department stores loaded with shops selling…

  • Seoul Selection

    Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu

    Staff speak English here and can recommend titles published by Seoul Selection as well as a wide range of other publishers' books on Korean culture in…

  • Jilkyungyee

    Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu

    Lee Ki-Yeon trained as an artist in the late 1970s when she became interested in natural dyeing and traditional Korean fashion. She went on to establish…

  • Seoul Folk Flea Market

    Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul

    You could kit out half the world's hipster cafes from the teetering stacks of dusty ornaments, table lamps, musical instruments and valve radios crammed…

  • Daily Monday

    Seoul

    This boutique shop boasts simple, modern designs for young women. Here, you'll find everything from sweaters to slacks in colours and fits currently…

  • Ssamziegil

    Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu

    An arty four-storey complex built around a courtyard that's a popular stop for one-off clothing, accessories and household goods as well as a fair amount…

  • Lotte World Mall

    Gangnam & Southern Seoul

    At the base of Korea's tallest building lies its largest shopping mall, comprising six floors of luxury and duty-free department stores, a mega cinema…

  • Steve J & Yoni P

    Gangnam & Southern Seoul

    Collaborating on the super-fashionable women's streetwear in this boutique are local designers Steve J and Yoni P. Their T-shirts, sweatshirts and…

  • Market m*

    Myeong-dong & Jung-gu

    Enjoy a free cup of coffee in the guesthouse area of Myeong-dong while browsing this upmarket version of Ikea, selling well-designed, simple wooden…

  • Dolsilnai

    Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu

    Come here for beautifully designed, casual hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) made from natural fabrics in a variety of soft natural and pastel colours…

  • Mik

    Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu

    You're likely to find Lim Dong Wook, the designer of these original unisex shirt-button covers, at this, his atelier and showroom. These pieces of…

  • Mecenatpolis Mall

    Seoul

    Local and international brands, including Uniqlo and Muji, are arranged on several levels around open plazas at one of Seoul's best-designed malls with a…

  • Kukjae Embroidery

    Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu

    Exquisite traditional embroidery pieces, including handbags, cushions and pillows, from Kukjae have often been presented as official gifts by Korean…

  • GRDS

    Seoul

    A young, local brand, GRDS combines comfortable Italian soles with sleek and modern Korean designs. At this offline location, it even displays cross…

  • Hyundai Department Store

    Gangnam & Southern Seoul

    Hyundai's flagship branch is a classy department store in Apgujeong, where you're greeted by uniformed doormen that exude old-fashioned elegance circa…

  • Filipino Sunday Market

    Northern Seoul

    Seoul’s Filipino community gathers every Sunday to shop, meet, chat and eat Filipino food. Join the throng for authentic eats like goat stew, barbecued…

  • Yido

    Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu

    Tastefully designed, natural glazed pottery for daily and decorative use are artfully displayed on the ground floor of this complex that includes a…

  • Comme des Garcons

    Itaewon & Yongsan-gu

    Uberstylish flagship boutique of the Japanese label. Take the elevator to the 4th floor then work your way down through the maze-like corridors. Take a…

  • Lotte Fitin

    Dongdaemun & Eastern Seoul

    In the same mould as Doota, if slightly more focused on global brands, this high-rise department store has multiple levels of clothing, cosmetics,…

  • Lab 5

    Gangnam & Southern Seoul

    No need to root around Dongdaemun Market for the latest hot K-designers, with this store in the COEX Mall showcasing the designs of 100 rising stars…

More destinations you need to see