Army Life 101 - There's
a special place in heaven for an Army Wife!
Army Wife 101
* The Army *Webring *
My Life * Korea
* Poems * Friend's Links
* Thanks Korea is known for it's shopping. There are vendors everywhere. The markets are always packed with people haggling for the best price. I love to spend money, so I have really enjoyed my tour of shopping!
There are millions of places to shop in Korea, but I will try to highlight on some of my favorites.
The Chosun is located right on Yongsan Garrison and is only open to service members and their families with a valid ration card and ID. It is one of my favorite places to shop. The Chosun is filled with rice china, beautiful oriental rugs, celedon, linens and so much more! The Chosun is operated by the Seoul Area American Officer's Wives Club as a regular fundraiser for the group. It is staffed by volunteers and is only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 am to 3 pm. If you don't live at Yongsan it is well worth the trip from other areas of Korea!
The Chosun is about to move into it's new building across from the Four Seasons on South Post.
In August 1997, we finally went out to explore Uijongbu! It is
the larger city near Camp Stanley. There are all sorts of merchants
along the sides of the streets. There are Ajima's lining the main
streets selling vegetables and spices. There are people selling
all sorts of stuff: silver, CD's, corn on the cob, fish, etc.
The open market is inside town. It is an area of the shopping
district full of street vendors. The streets are full of people
and cars still drive through there. People blow their horns like
you would not believe! There is almost always the sound of a horn
blowing somewhere. There are tons of people selling foods and
spices along the side streets. There were lots of bowls filled
with hundreds of little fish swimming around. I guess they eat
them… There was squid, octopus, dried fish and chicken everywhere.
It was very interesting. That part of the market is the "fish
market." Brian bought me a bundle of 10 roses for only 1,000won,
that's about a dollar. There was a woman selling pets; she had
birds, hamsters, gerbils, squirrels, turtles, lizards etc. Brian
bought us honeydew melon popsicles. Definitely try those! Most
places will only take won; so bring plenty.
Tongdaemun, or East Gate, Market is one of Seoul's oldest shopping markets. Covering more than 10 blocks, it is the largest and most colorful market in Korea. It is where the Koreans go to shop, so bring your notepad for the vendors to write down prices for you, not all of them speak English. It is a great place to find fabric (especially silk), fruits & vegetables (be sure to try the bae - it is an Asian pear and it is my favorite fruit!), sports equipment, handbags and much much more. Some shops are only the size of small closets and specialize in specific items, like buttons, zippers or buckles. The market is closed on the first and third Sundays of the month. Since this is where Koreans go to shop, bring won.
Namdaemun, the ancient South Gate of Seoul, is home to an open-air market of the same name. It opened in 1414 as a government market. Namdaemun Market is the largest general wholesale market in Korea. The best time to shop for wholesale prices is between 0200 and 0600. Unfortunately, public transportation does not run at these times, so beware and don't get stranded (the subway stops about 2200)! Check with the Casey USO. Occasionally they have shopping tours at night into Namdaemun. If you can't make it during these times you can still get great deals during the day. The best time to shop during the day is between 1000 and 1400. There are more than 10,000 businesses packed into the 10 acre area that makes up the market. Children's clothing is plentiful here! It is a great place to find clothing for everyone. If you are in the market for a leather coat this is definitely where to go! I found coats of all kinds: wool, fur and leather. The wool coats started at 20,000 won. There is a wholesale jewelry store in the basement of the clock store beside the Saerona Department Store. If you are brave enough, barbecued pigs' feet are the popular local cuisine. Don't be upset if you are pushed and shoved a little in this very crowed market. The Koreans don't think they are being rude when the push in crowed areas. "When in Rome…." Bring won; dollars are not accepted here.
The main shoppers in It'aewon are tourists, especially Americans from the US Eighth Army Base - Yongsan. Clothing is one of the biggest bargains to be found. You can find "Tommy" anything: clothes, shoes, bags and suitcases! Other brands like Douney & Bourke, Ambercrombie, Starter, you name it can be found everywhere here. It is a good place to shop for "souvenirs." It is one long street with many alleyways packed with shops. You can find luggage, leather goods, antiques, clothing, and ski wear in addition to much more. There are even shops carrying antique metal diving helmets! If you want custom jewelry, I recommend the Turtle Jewelry Shop at the Hamilton Shops. He can make charms and rings with your name in Han-gul! If hats are more your style, I recommend the Ambrosia Hat City shop! He is located down the alley perpendicular to the Pizza Hut, on the right. He has quite an assortment of hats and will personalize them for you with your name in Han-gul or English. I have gotten a few thing from him myself! Fur shops sell their furs duty-free to foreigners. It has something for everyone. Many of the venders take dollars.
If you come to Korean and want to leave with anything electronic, this is the place to shop. It is a huge shopping center beside the Yongsan Railroad Station. There are more than 2,700 shops carrying everything you can imagine and then some! You can find computers, stereos, cameras, and other electronic stuff. The area outside of the main building is also lined with electronic stores. There are 21 buildings in all. You can get a great computer for about 800,000 to 1,000,000 won. Check the current won rate and compare what you can get. In December 1997 many people purchased computers, valued at $2500 on the US economy, for the equivalent of $800 USD! I purchased an Epson scanner for about $160! If you go shopping, be careful not to come home with something you don't understand. You are in Korea, and they do speak Hangul-make sure you get something that has English too. The Korea voltage is different too! You can get adapters for most things though.
Insa-dong, also known as Mary's Alley, specializes in art supplies
and antiques. It is filled with old book stores, calligraphy supplies,
art galleries, ornamental hairpins, handmade papers, earthen ware,
and white porcelain. The street is closed to traffic on Sundays
to allow vendors to "take over". The street is filled
with artisans of all types. You can have your portrait drawn by
an aspiring art student. The portraits are terrific. There are
artists of all sorts on the street selling items as the y finish
them. There are totem Pole carvers chopping out creations while
you watch. It really is fantastic! Potters will set up and teach
the finer points of using a potter's wheel. You can try your hand
at pounding rice cakes or have you picture drawn by very talented
art students lining the street. Insa-dong is a long time favorite
of artists, poets and writers. The alley has a reputation of being
a shopping Mecca.
Army Wife 101
* The Army *Webring *
My Life * Korea
* Poems * Friend's Links
* Thanks
my
guest book, 
who
else has been here!
Get your own Free Homepage.