Shopping, Banks and SIM Cards in Seoul!

Your Korean Home

Now that you are in Seoul, you should learn about where to find and purchase certain things in order to make your accommodation your new home! 

Where to...? 

Following will be a formatted list of certain items you can conveniently purchase for an affordable price! As you may have noticed, people in Korea take a lot of care on how they dress and look, and you may want to join in. For that following are a list of places where you can find fashionable on season clothing for an affordable price! 

Ewha University Shopping Area 

You may or may not have heard of this shopping area and how cute and stylish the clothing are. However when you plan to go there prepare to spend hours to decide which one to buy! Some of the perks of this shopping area is that you can do everything in one day. There are numerous of makeup stores and various hair salons to get a complete makeover. Also there are different clothing stores that slightly vary in style and a few number of shoe shops that cater all kinds of styles and sizes. 

Also is not just for women, there are options for men as well!! In clothing, shoes and care products so do not be discourage to look around!~ 

The map above illustrates the recommended shopping areas by locals since they are pretty popular and in reasonable prices. As you can see the purple line is known as "52 St." but is commonly not seen in the map, however is trendy for young women's clothes and accessories. The Yellow circle shows great areas to look for shoes and clothing for all genders also along your way you will see many popular makeup brand stores!! 

Hongdae Shopping Area 

Hongdae is one of the popular areas that you have heard because of their street dance, nightlife and food! Besides those great things to do, there are numerous clothing stores that you can explore around with a different style from Ewha Shopping Center. 

We also recommend to go shopping during the week or early in the weekend because of the popularity of the area!! 

Gangnam and Express Bus Terminal Stations

As you go around Seoul, you may notice that there are clothing stores in the subway stations so with older style and some not so. However we recommend to check out Gangnam for chic and classy clothing if that is more of your style. Keep in mind that you do have to scan out of the station to explore around~

Now for the Express Bus Terminal is the biggest underground shopping areas in Seoul and has a vast selections of stores to purchase clothes, shoes, accessories and even food!! The terminal is also known as GOTEO Mall (GOTEO in Korean means Express) which is popular for the ladies, to get there you go to any exit 8 and will eventually lead you to the Mall. 

Grocery Shopping!! 

We all love food! and would love to go out to eat everyday but sometimes miss to cook something at home or just getting some snacks while you study! In Seoul there are a few chain supermarkets that have many products but there are also local supermarkets that may have cheaper options! follow this link to learn the different options to grocery shop: https://www.korvia.com/a-newbies-guide-to-grocery-shopping-in-seoul/

Yonsei Hall 

For those who will be staying at our Yonsei hall location, there are some options for you to purchase your groceries! One of them is the Harmony Mart (하모니마트) which is across from the big street!! To get there just head towwards the big street from the Hall and cross, you won't be able to miss it!! Items are affordable and even cheaper than going to the convenience store!! 

The map illustrates how to get to the Harmony Market by walking in only 4 minutes!! The Blue point is where Yonsei Hall is located and the Red point is the Harmony Market location!! 

Sogang and Sogang Arrupe Hall 

As to Sogang Hall, a big grocery store is quite far from the accommodation but there are a lot of convenience stores to find snacks!! Also is good to know that cheaper fruit are found being sold by big blue trucks as the picture below. 

  

Banking in Korea

Going to a bank or using an ATM can be quite terrifying if you are not sure how to use one. However most ATM's in Korea accept Foreign Cards and have the option to complete your transaction in English and sometimes other languages as well! 

Personally for money exchange going to a Bank is the better option since they sometimes don't take additional fees for converting your cash! If you decide to do this make sure you bring either you passport or ARC with you as a form of ID! 

If you will be studying in Seoul, your school should help you to open up a Korean bank account in which you will be able to put money in and sometimes even use it as a T-Money Card. We can not guarantee that every bank will have English speaking staff but if you go to popular foreigner areas such as Itaewon, you will certainly have no problem!! 

SIM Cards in Korea

Depending on how long you plan to stay in Seoul, there are various options to which kind of SIM Card you would want to purchase as well as different options according to your travels. DON'T FORGET TO UNLOCK YOUR PHONE!! 

Pocket Wifi 

If you just want wifi and not having to deal with all of the SIM card options, another option for you can be a Pocket Wifi which can vary in prices depending on how many days you will use it. One of the cons about this option is that you will have to be carrying around the poceket wifi device but have better signal than a SIM card! Click this link for further details and different companies you can purchase one: https://pretraveller.com/best-pocket-wifi-rental-korea/

For an ongoing updated page about best SIM Card options click: https://pretraveller.com/best-sim-card-in-korea/

We hope you transition well into your new future home and find everything you need to feel comfortable! Remember to checkout our other blog posts about living in Seoul. 

Prepare to Live in Seoul

What to Bring and NOT to Bring to Live in Seoul

Either your stay in South Korea will be short or long, there are a lot of things that you should not worry about bringing due to the convenience of being able to purchase them here! 

What NOT to Bring?

Of course you should pack general stuff such as clothes and shoes, however there are some items that are unnecessary to pack when you could buy them near your accommodation and even cheaper! 

School Supplies

Yes, you might want to bring your own school supplies because of the school sale season in your home country but consider instead purchasing such items here in Seoul. A super convenient place to purchase almost anything for a cheap price is Daiso. We all love this store because you can find at least 99% of items you will need when moving to Seoul. School supplies such as Notebooks, Pencils, Ballpoint Pens, and Highlighters, you can find them at any Daiso for around 1,000 to 5,000 KRW and in cute styles as well! 

Hair Products

Shampoos in Emart

South Korea is well known for their beauty products and needless to say it is not necessary for you to bring your own shampoo and Hair conditioner, or even hair tools! When you visit Daiso for school supplies, also look for some hair tools and hair products most of the description is in English as well. Another store to explore Hair products is Emart, which is a supermarket (great for groceries but that's another topic) and sometimes there will be workers around the area to help you find the right product for your type of hair!! 

Hair Strengtheners in Artbox  

In the case of blow dryers and other electronic tools you might find them at Emart as well or Artbox which is a store you can find unique designs for any basic items. 

Outdoor Items

Depending on what time of the year you will be living in Seoul, it is pretty convenient to buy outdoor items such as umbrellas and rain ponchos in any convenient store such as GS25. Also for the cold weather there are warming packets at every convenient store! 

Cleaning Supplies

We all like to stay clean and have our favorite brands but it is unnecessary to bring them since you can easily find them at Daiso or Emart as mentioned. Daiso is better to find tools to clean around and cheaper options than Emart, you can also find hand soaps and room fresheners! However for more detergent options we recommend to explore around Emart and check with your accommodation as well to see what kind of detergent is allowed to use. Remember at 42SHARE we do sell sets for washing at your convenience!  

What to Bring? 

Of course there are a lot of pros and cons to decide whether or not you should bring certain items or just purchase them in Korea, however there are a few things that are usually recommended to bring from your home country according to your personal taste. 

Toothpaste 

Although there are a variety of selection of toothpastes in Korea, most brands do not contain fluoride and you won't find your foreign brands easily at stores. Therefore it is advised to bring your own comfortable brand, but know that there is a Korean brand similar to Crest called Perioe. 

Deodorant

As you may have heard, deodorant is not common to find in Korea and many other East Asian countries. Bringing your own brand will be best and recommended since nobody wants to be the "stinky" one in the subway. Make sure the brand you purchase is long lasting so you do not have to carry it around everywhere! 

Sunscreen

If you will be in Korea during Spring, Summer and partly Autumn, you will definitely need some sunscreen! We recommend to bring your own from home, but there are a lot of high quality and protective sunscreens in Korea as well, check this list for more details: https://www.dailydot.com/bazaar/korean-sunscreens/

Also you should bring hats to protect yourself from the sun, but you can buy hats here as well, and do not be afraid to use an umbrella to cover from the sun too! Stay Safe!! 

Bed Linen

If you do not want to figure out your bed linen, then it is better to bring your own, but keep in mind that you can purchase it in Korea as well. Korea's top online shopping site, GMarket offers various products and fast service for your convenience, also you can change the language to English! If you are going to stay with us :) remember that we offer duvet and pillow lease, so it can be a lesser problem to worry about. 

Also we recommend for you to bring your own towels since is not common to find the "big" sized ones as commonly used in foreign countries, such as the United States. 

Family and Friends Photos

Being far away from home can be frightening and exciting, all kinds of mix emotions. Therefore we highly recommend for you to bring family and friends photos or any items that will make you feel at home. Having a piece from home will certainly be comforting and help you feel at ease during your living in South Korea as an international student. 

In addition, it will be great to bring your favorite snacks that you would not commonly find in Korea such as Hot Cheetos and Takis (American). 

DO NOT FORGET

After reviewing what is not necessary and what is a MUST to bring in your planning, also remember to pack important items such as medicine, official documents and your electronics such as laptops or tablets. 

Things to Consider

•  South Korea caters to One Size which is usually small and petite bodies, but there are international stores that do have bigger sizes. 
• If your skin is of darker complexion, is recommended to bring your own makeup since you won't be able to find your match! but lipsticks and eye shadows can be really cute! 
• Always carry tissue and hand sanitizer, Seoul is a big and populated city so is better to keep safe! 
• Also always carry a lip balm!   

We hope you pack well and bring things you absolutely need to be comfortable! Remember to checkout our other blog posts about living in Seoul. 

Daily Seoul_Shopping