The Best Shopping in Seoul, the Most Stylish City in Asia

27.11.2023 - 14:03 / cntraveler.com / In Asia / Art

With a population of almost 10 million, Seoul is one of Asia's largest and most vibrant metropolises. City workers spill out of futuristic skyscrapers at the end of the day, heading to the city's delicious and varied restaurants. On the weekends, nightlife rules—think neon-signed karaoke spots and lively bars in addition to the popular grab-and-go eateries. By day, however, the city is an underrated shopper's paradise. Forget the high-fashion boutiques (although you'll find those here, too), as it's all about neighborhood hotspots. From ceramic studios to sustainable zero-waste havens, these are the best places for shopping in Seoul.

Soluna Living, the craft-centric Seoul outpost of Hong Kong-based Soluna Fine Art, works with expert makers around South Korea to produce homeware and objets d’art that marry contemporary designs with ancient skills. The pint-sized shop and gallery space features fine basketry by Jeong Da-hye, who employs an intricate horsehair-weaving technique traditionally used for men’s headwear; colorful goblets by glass-blowing artist Glory G; and handmade hapjukseon bamboo fans made by a fourth-generation master craftsman in Jeonju.

Hanji, a durable, richly textured paper made from mulberry tree bark and a paste of hibiscus manihot root, has been a Korean craft staple for centuries. Until the 1970s, the streets of the Insa-dong district were lined with workshops selling hanji to craftspeople and artists, who used it for everything from floor coverings to canvases for calligraphy. Today, the family-run Dong Yang Hanji is one of just a handful of specialists. Rolls of hanji in every texture, color and thickness line the walls of the two-story space, ranging from smooth letter-sized pages to premium multi-ply options. Many of the papers are produced by the family’s workshop and material research centre in Gimpo, just north of Seoul, and some are sourced from small-scale workshops around the country.

South Korea’s most prominent ceramic craft is baekja, a minimally decorated and often all-white style of porcelain made popular during the Joseon dynasty. These days, a new generation of craftspeople employs the technique to create tableware and modern renditions of dalhangari (moon jars), a now sought-after type of pottery resembling a full moon. Craft gallery Ilsangyeoback in the Seochon district sells a vast collection of ceramic plates, tea sets and dalhangari in a range of sizes made by artisans from around the country, and its adjoining gallery space hosts rotating exhibitions on local artists and techniques. The airy tea room and concept store Mo-No-Ha, in gallery-studded Hannam, is filled with contemporary designs such as ceramist Park Sung-wook’s black-glazed teapots and tactile