Lifestyle and Shopping in Seoul

Seoul is an incredibly vibrant and entertaining city to live in. As home to most of the country’s embassies and consulates, expat residents will find that there is always something happening regardless of the time of day or night.

Not to mention, no matter the different degrees of individual taste in music, clothing, theatre or sport Seoul’s eclectic atmosphere can accommodate nearly everyone.

Shopping in Seoul

There are plenty of shopping districts in the city with budget-friendly designer labels destined to be donned even by those wary of their own purchasing power.

Specifically, Myeong-dong and Dongdaemun house large assortments of internationally known shops alongside smaller boutiques, all with reasonably priced goods. Gangnam and Apgujeong have huge department stores and a number of restaurants; while Itaewon has its fair share of shops, tailors and designer products all aimed at Americans capable of shelling out the big bucks.

Technophiles will be in their element in Seoul as it has the largest electronics market in Asia. Yongsan Electronics Market and Techno Mart are stocked with the latest digital cameras, mobile phones, DVD players, computers and computer accessories.

Eating out and nightlife in Seoul

For restaurants, bars and nightclubs many expats head toward Itaewon; however, the areas around Hongik University in Sinchon as well as Gangnam area are other fun locales to crowd-watch or spend the evening.

Korean restaurants are found on every city block, but for the traditional Korean dining experience head to Insadong; even the expat with the most unadventurous palate, but who is willing to experiment, will find something to write home about. For the more culturally inclined Hyehwa and Hansung University areas have streets lined with independent theatres and street performers.

For general grocery shopping, many expats head to Costco at the Sangbong subway station for all their western favourites. There are also a few international stores in Itaewon catering for western tastes. English books can be found at Kyobo book stores as well as at What The Book, in Itaewon.

For live bands and concerts, the Korea Times and Seoul Times newspapers list all the upcoming events.

Yeoido Island on the Han River generally hosts an array of jazz acts while larger concerts and sports games are held at Olympic Park. Be sure not to miss out on the numerous festivals happening in Seoul throughout the year, as well as the international film festivals held in both Busan and Jeonju.