A lot of people know about areas like 남대문, 인사동, and 용산 (https://blogs.transparent.com/korean?s=nigh+market) within the Seoul area, but did you know that there are lots of other shopping venues within Seoul?

For example, 명동 is a shopping district that is famous for its expensive retail shops. The Lotte Department Store (롯데백화점) is one of the biggest department stores in the 명동 region. Not only that, 명동 is a financial center, with international companies like Citibank and HSBC, and domestic companies like SK (에스케이). In addition, 명동 is a political hotspot. The Chinese Embassy and UNESCO Hall are all located here, and if you come on the right day, you may be able to see a political demonstration taking place. Here’s a video that shows you some outdoor and indoor shops:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNzvYSnDb9Y

There’s also an underground shopping mall called COEX Mall (코엑스몰). My favorite place is the Kimchi Museum (김치박물관) which features different varieties of 김치, the history behind each variety, and how to make it. COEX Mall is also the place where young people flock to see computer game tounaments. In addition to hundreds of shops, there is a large aquarium, a cinema complex, and a bookstore. Here’s a video showing some of the shops in COEX Mall :

경동 시장 is a large, herbal/tranditional medicine market. There are outdoor vendors selling medicinal items, and indoor clinics with herbal specialists.