Looking for the best places to go shopping in Seoul? Head over to Dongdaemun, one of the prime shopping areas located in the heart of the city!
Best-known for stylish and well-made clothes, great bargains and a unique scene of night market stalls that appear at night and then vanish by day, Dongdaemun Market truly offers tourists and travelers one of best shopping experiences in the city.
If you are shopping at Dongdaemun Market for the first time, here are the one and only insider tips for you should know before you go.
1. Discount for Cash Payment
All shopping experts and second-timers to Dongdaemun Market know that the vendors prefer payment in cash and they will give you a good bargain if you tell them you will pay in cash.
If you don’t have cash on you, just go to a nearby ATM and prepare cash in advance. You will be able to find ATMs in almost every big shopping malls (normally on the ground floor), convenience stores and on the streets as well.
2. Retail or Wholesale?
Basically, in Dongdaemun Market, there are two types of stores: retail (for ordinary shoppers) and wholesale (for retailers or wholesale buyers). The market only had wholesale stores selling clothes and accessories to retailers at first. But as big shopping malls sprung up and the market expanded, shoppers other than retailers started to enjoy shopping at Dongdaemun Market as well.
Nowadays, even ordinary shoppers stop by wholesale stores to buy clothes in bulk at wholesale prices.
A. Retail Stores
The best-known shopping malls with retail stores are Doota and Migliore. If you are an ordinary shopper (not wholesale buyers) and want to buy your clothes in pieces, go ahead and enjoy shopping at these malls!
B. Wholesale Stores
Wholesale stores don’t sell clothes in pieces. However, the price is much cheaper compared to retail stores. If you want to buy clothes in bulk for your group, try visiting the wholesale stores. Many of the popular wholesale stores are situated around Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) such as Dongdaemun Fashion Town, New Pyeonghwa Market, Designer Club, U:US and more.
C. Day or Night
Usually, retail stores are open during the daytime and wholesale stores are open during night time. This is because retailers sell clothes to customers and wholesalers sell clothes to retailers.
| Store Name | Store Type | Opening Hours |
| Doota | Retail | 10:30 am ~ 11:00 pm (everyday) |
| Migliore | Retail | 10:30 am ~ (next day) 4:30 am / closed on Mon |
| New Pyeonghwa Market | Wholesale | Basement ~1st Floor – 24 Hours 2nd~4th Floor – 10:00 pm ~(next day) 12:00 pm All floor closed from Sat 12:00 pm ~ Sun 9:00 pm |
| Designer Club | Wholesale | 8:00 pm ~ (next day) 8:00 am / closed on Sat |
3. How to Bargain
Now, if you are reading this, you’re very lucky. Some vendors at Dongdaemun Market may charge you more than the fixed price knowing that you are a foreigner. Don’t let them win the game and just ask for a lower price!
Enjoy your shopping and travel! Visit Korea’s #1 Travel Shop, Trazy.com, if you want to find the latest, trendiest and newest things to do in South Korea.
I am the first time go there..
Any idea for me for purchase ladies wear… Because I have a boutique shop, perhaps can get cheap & good quality wears from there
Hello! One of the famous fashion malls around Dongdaemun Market is Migliore (www.trazy.com/spot/1931), where you can find plenty of boutique shops mostly for ladies.
Hi, may I know whether the Dongdaemun Shopping Complex is the same as the wholesale places you listed above?
Hi, Dongdaemun Shopping Complex is a different building apart from the wholesale stores we’ve listed in this post. It’s a market that houses many wholesale and retail stores specializing in various fabrics, materials, accessories and many more. Hope this answers your question! 🙂
Thank you 😊
You’re welcome! 🙂
Hello there. I’m Octavia from Indonesia. I would like to buy Korean clothes in order to sell it again to Indonesia. However, my Korean is not good. So, will they want to serve foreigners? I also don’t really know how to send it to Indonesia. Do they will help me to send it to Indonesia? Thank you. 🙂
Hello Octavia. We’re really not sure about the exact process of wholesaling clothes but you’ll need to visit the places yourself to see if there are sellers who can support you. 🙂
hello
please anyone can tell me the average prices for the wholesale (cloths, bags, ect) just an idea how much the prices? i plan to open a shop but would like to have an idea before i come to korea.
thank you very much
Hello saud! Sorry, we are a travel agency and so we cannot assist you in relation to your matter. Hope everything works out well!
Hi, I would like to know what types of clothing do they sell during winter? only winter clothings?
Hi Yums,
We assume most of the shops will be selling winter clothes during winter but we recommend you to visit places yourself to check it out 😀
Hi, we are a fashion sourcing agency based in Seoul, South Korea.
We provide sourcing services for boutique owners overseas.
Please visit our website for further information & send inquiries.
Thanks! 🙂
https://sooviesourcing.wordpress.com/
I am also shopping lover so I will love to say that your shared information is very useful for me as well as other visitors. I also have a plan to go to there in this weekend to enjoy shopping.
Hi i’m In Seoul. Where can I get gents & children’s clothing.
Hi, Anglin! There are markets for children’s clothing in Namdaemun market. You can also check other shopping malls on the following link:
https://www.trazy.com/search/places-to-shop-in-myeongdong-city-hall-district-seoul-south-korea
Hi, I want to source some products(clothes and shoes) from Korea and I’m told Dongdaemun market is the place to go; is there anyone doing same and what recommendations you have for me thanks.
Hi, we are a fashion sourcing agency based in Seoul, South Korea.
We provide sourcing services for boutique owners overseas.
Please visit our website for further information & send inquiries.
Thanks! 🙂
https://sooviesourcing.wordpress.com/