1. Fashion, get fashionable souvenirs

Korea presents a range of fashion items from one season to the next in terms of materials and designs since it undergoes four distinct seasons of spring, summer, fall, and winter. Duty-free shops and department stores offer both luxury and affordable brands while select shops in the Seongsu Station area offer the most sophisticated and trendy fashion pieces. On weekends, there are also flea markets in various locations where you may be lucky enough to purchase unique items made by up-and-coming designers at an affordable price. 

Socks

As socks became popular fashion items, they are one of the most purchased items by travelers in Korea. Socks made in Korea have high quality with eye-catching, unique designs, and diverse colors, which made them extremely popular. Not only that, the affordable prices make them perfect souvenirs to give to friends and family back home. These socks can be easily found anywhere from traditional markets to street vendors.

Glasses

Glasses are another must-buy item in Korea. There are many famous Korean brands that are popular thanks to the combination of excellent quality and inexpensive price tags. Glass frames and sunglasses are extremely diverse in color, design, and price range, which provide a wide selection to choose from. Areas such as Namdaemun and Dongdaemun feature large optical stores for convenient shopping. In Korea, an hour is all you need even for prescription glasses making it an ideal activity to add to the itinerary.

2. K-food, enjoy both taste and health!

Thanks to the popularity of Korean dramas and films, Korean food is also getting a lot of attention. Many tourists come to Korea on a “gourmet trip” to experience the taste that their favorite actors or artists once enjoyed. If you feel like your trip is not enough to try all the delicacies and flavors Korea has to offer, see below for recommended K-foods and snacks for you to take home!

Dried laver

Dried laver, or gim, is made by thinly spreading and drying seaweed and is a well-known healthy food that was once introduced by the Wall Street Journal as a Korean superfood. Its convenient storage and light weight make it a popular shopping item to take home from Korea. Korean dried laver is full of protein and dietary fibers and also has a high content of minerals such as Vitamin C, iron and calcium. If you’re already familiar with this snack, try “gopchanggim,” which is popular among Koreans, and many different kinds of dried laver seasoned with spicy flavors, curry flavors, cheese, wasabi, or salted pollack roe. Gimbugak, which is laver chip, and gimjaban (laver flakes) both offer sweet and salty flavors and are delicious.

Ramyeon

Ramyeon, Koreans’ soul food, has now become a globally recognized food. Its affordable price range and simple cooking methods enable anyone to easily enjoy it. Some popular brands include the already famous Shin Ramyun, Neoguri, and Buldak Bokkeummyeon (“Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen”), which presents the essence of spiciness, as well as Chapagetti, a ramyeon version of jjajangmyeon (black soybean noodles). The fact that they can easily be purchased anywhere from neighborhood supermarkets to convenience stores is a plus.

Kimchi

Kimchi is a globally recognized superfood and the epitome of healthy food. It not only presents a spicy and crispy texture as well as a refreshing taste, but also has an abundance of lactobacillus as a fermented food, which helps strengthen immunity. When you leave Korea, we recommend vacuum-packed products for convenient transportation and storage. The taste and smell of kimchi becomes stronger with the pass of time due to the fermentation, so it is a good idea to buy a product with the most recent manufacturing date, especially if you’re unfamiliar with fermented kimchi. To enjoy kimchi as Koreans do, have kimchi by your side when you’re having a bowl of ramyeon.

Chips and snacks

If there is a large supermarket nearby, make sure to drop by to buy snacks. Snacks available in Korea come in diverse shapes, textures, and flavors ranging from sweet to salty. Almonds and other kinds of nuts are also popular. Today, seasoned nuts in a variety of flavor are available including sweet nuts, mango-flavored nuts, and grilled corn-flavored nuts.

Ginseng

A well-known health food in Korea, ginseng has a strong bitter taste but has become a popular gift choice because it is effective in fatigue recovery, immunity reinforcement, and memory improvement. In recent years, stick-type products have frequently appeared in dramas garnering more attention. Sweetened versions in the forms of jelly or candy are also available for those who are unfamiliar with ginseng’s particular smell and taste.

Korean alcohol

Makgeolli, a traditional Korean liquor, is made by fermenting rice. This liquor has an average alcohol content that is 5 to 6 ABV lower than other common liquors, bringing out the drink’s subtle and pleasant flavors. There are also unique-flavored makgeolli that utilize specialty products of each region. Soju has a higher alcohol content than makgeolli by about 15 to 20 ABV but presents a clean and clear taste. Soju is also available in various flavors of fruits such as lemon and grapefruit.

3. Cosmetics, Hallyu stars’ beauty secrets

The popularity of K-beauty is at an all-time high. In addition to the combination of great quality and affordable prices, you’ll find many products that integrate ingredients found in nature or Korean medicinal herbs to boost effects while minimizing skin irritation. K-beauty products are available in a wide variety of items from base makeup to body, hair, nail, color, and functional cosmetics. As a simple souvenir, we recommend sheet mask packs. Korean sheet masks are excellent in quality with inexpensive price tags and suited to serve a wide range of purposes such as whitening, improving wrinkles, moisturizing the skin, adding glow, and lifting effect. Animal sheet masks and cartoon character sheet masks are especially popular gift options that offer both skin benefits and fun.

① High-class K-beauty, Sulwhasoo flagship store

This is a place where you can experience the diverse beauty culture of Sulwhasoo, a popular brand, with all your five senses. The reservation–only traditional Korean medicinal spa program is held in a cozy, private space and offers a tailored treatment according to the skin condition of each visitor. Sulwhasoo operates Bukchon and Gangnam branches, and has multilingual staff to provide a convenient shopping experience for travelers.

• Address: 18 Dosan-daero 45-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 강남구 도산대로 45길 18) / 47 Bukchon-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 북촌로 47)
• Operating hours: 10:00-19:00 / Closed Mondays
• Inquiries: +82-2-541-9270 / www.sulwhasoo.com (English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai)

② One-stop K-beauty store, Olive Young

This is the unrivaled number one drugstore in Korea that has over 1,300 stores nationwide. It sells various cosmetics, health supplies, beauty items, and other miscellaneous goods. This brand is known for introducing trendy products and is a must-visit for those curious about the current trends of K-beauty.

• Address: 53 Myeong-dong-gil (서울특별시 중구 명동길 53)
• Operating hours: 10:00-22:30
• Inquiries: +82-2-736-5290 / www.oliveyoung.co.kr (English, Japanese)

4. K-pop merch haven

K-pop merch is something that cannot be missed if you are a fan of a K-pop star. From photos that are difficult to find overseas and T-shirts with pictures of stars and autographs to backpacks, notebooks, cups, and school supplies, you name it; you will find it. Some of these stores also set up lounges in addition to the shopping areas for experiencing a one-of-a-kind K-pop culture.

① KWANGYA@SEOUL

This location has a variety of merch related to SM artists and is easily accessible as it is connected to Seoul Forest Station. The space is filled with music and photos of the company’s artists and the unique interior and photo zones are decorated to offer the fans a satisfying experience.

• Address: 83-21 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 성동구 왕십리로 83-21)
• Operating hours: 10:30-20:00
• Inquiries: +82-2-6233-6729

② SPACE OF BTS

This is an official BTS merch store in Shinsegae Duty Free Myeongdong that opened in 2023. There are over 330 different kinds of BTS-related merch including clothes, backpacks, and school supplies, making the place a must-visit spot for ARMY. Since it is located within a duty free store, you can check out and shop at other brand stores as well.

• Address: 77 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 중구 퇴계로 77)
• Operating hours: Monday-Thursday 10:30-20:00, Friday-Sunday 10:30-20:30
• Inquiries: +82-2-1661-8778

③ Myeong-dong Underground Shopping Center

This shopping center has merch for various K-pop stars and is conveniently connected to Myeong-dong, a popular shopping district. From stickers and photo books to blankets, name tags, and tumblers, the shops have a wide variety of products even making browsing fun.

• Address: 124 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 중구 퇴계로 124)
• Operating hours: 10:00-23:00 (varies by store)
• Inquiries: +82-2-776-8932