Must-see shopping in South Korea

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • x-default

    Shinsegae Centum City

    Busan

    The world's largest shopping complex – bigger than Macy's in New York – with everything you'd expect in a temple of commerce. There's a skating rink,…

  • 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…

  • Yangdong-sijang

    Gwangju

    Voted Korea's best traditional market, sprawling Yangdong sells just about everything, from traditional medicines to clothing.

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Hyundai Department Store

    Daegu

    It's worth coming here at night to see the light display, but any time will do for this terrific department store – a modern, geometric architectural…

  • Lotte Department Store – Centum City

    Busan

    Need to buy a $5000 handbag? You can probably find one at this Lotte outlet in Haeundae beside Shinsegae. Or you could try one of the other three outlets…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Nambu-sijang

    Jeonju

    Jeonju's biggest market has lively food stalls on Friday and Saturday nights. Expect long waits at some stalls, like the one selling sweet-and-sour shrimp…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Homeplus

    Gyeongsangbuk-do

    The colossal Homeplus Mall is not just the most hulking landmark in town, but an all-under-one-roof shopping bonanza, with long hours. There's a small…

  • Millimetre Milligram

    Itaewon & Yongsan-gu

    Usually shortened to MMMG, this stylish emporium tells a story on every storey, from Swiss brand Freitag on ground level up through to Japanese homewares,…

  • Gukje Market

    Busan

    West of Nampo-dong, this traditional market has hundreds of small booths with a staggering selection of items, from leather goods to Korean drums.

  • Primera

    Myeong-dong & Jung-gu

    The flagship store of this Korean cosmetics brand specialises in organic skin products and essential oils using germinated sprouts.

  • Bujeon Market

    Busan

    You could easily spend an hour getting lost in this enormous traditional market specialising in produce, seafood and knick-knacks.

  • Åland

    Myeong-dong & Jung-gu

    Spread over three levels, this multilabel boutique mixes up vintage with new designer men's and women's fashion and homewares.

  • Yeonggwang Bookstore

    Busan

    One the city's oldest bookstores, with a decent selection of English books.

  • Yongsan Electronics Market

    Itaewon & Yongsan-gu

    Korea isn't a particularly cheap country in which to pick up electronics (even for home-grown brands like Samsung), but this humongous collection of tech…

  • Boon the Shop

    Gangnam & Southern Seoul

    There are two close-by branches of this multibrand boutique that’s a byword for chic, high-end fashion. The original, worth a look if only for its…

  • Dongjin Market

    Seoul

    An old market arcade has become a Friday-night and weekend hot spot for browsers in hip Yeonnam-dong. Secondhand clothing, homemade cookies, an overload…

  • Hyundai Premium Outlets

    Gyeonggi-do & Incheon

    So this is where all the people are! Trust Songdo's only happening hang-out to be a vast open-air mall offering discounted big-brand shopping, a few…

More destinations you need to see