Shopping Time! Myeongdong and Goto Mall

Today, some friends and I visited some of the major underground shopping districts of Seoul. The first was the Goto Underground Mall near the Banpo bridge. To get to the district, we used two subways, and it took about an hour from Yonsei’s campus. The first subway was mildly crowded; however, we were able to see get a great view of the Han River through the windows. Our second subway was a less enjoyable experience. Despite it being 2pm, the subway was jammed packed like a can of sardines. After getting off at our stop, we were welcomed with the overwhelming sight of the shopping district.

According to some tourist websites, there were about six hundred shops and three main rest areas. Walking around, it was obvious that this was a popular area for both tourists and locals as every store was full of people shopping for things ranging from home goods to plant decor to clothing. The prices were cheap, and the quality was great. For example, I was able to get a pair of jeans for only ten thousand Won. The only drawback about this fast-paced shopping is that you’re not able to try anything on before buying them. So, I would recommend learning some clothing tricks before coming to the district as the pair of jeans was a little too big for me.

In each of the resting areas, there were a plethora of food options ranging from traditional Korean meals to modern pop culture foods and Western dishes. After looking around all the shops, we decided to head to the other shopping district of Korea, Myeongdong. Myeongdong Underground had a different atmosphere from Goto. Compared to the crowded liveliness of Goto, Myeongdong Underground was rather empty. A lot of the stores were more focused on selling souvenirs and specific goods rather than generic products. Additionally, we noticed that there were a lot of Japanese-related goods. This is likely related to Myeongdong’s history of selling Japanese products while it was illegal in Korea.

Since a lot of the stores were closed/closing, we decided to head above ground. The atmosphere was bustling due to the various street food vendors, Western and Korean clothing stores, and restaurants at every corner. Additionally, there appeared to be more foreigners in the area. Although aboveground was livelier, the prices were about the same when compared to other stores in Seoul. However, going to Myeongdong is still a good shopping experience. Reflecting on both districts, I would say that if you want to experience the shopping culture in Korea, these two places are great stops to start with. I would then recommend branching out to other stores and brands in Korea. Also, keep in mind that when they say shop to you drop, they’re serious about it in Korea. There were very few free rest stops. Often you will have to enter a café or restaurant and make a purchase. However, this is a gateway to experiencing another part of Korean culture: café hopping.