Text/Compiled and Reported by Chen Guanxin, MOOK Travel Life Network
For travelers who love visiting South Korea and shopping, the “2013 Korea Shopping Season” will run from January 11 to February 28. Spanning 49 days, the event includes cities such as Seoul, Busan, Gyeonggi-do, Gangwon-do, Jeollanam-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and Jeju, bringing together over 24,700 participating merchants including department stores, duty-free shops, hotels, large supermarkets, and convenience stores. This is the largest shopping festival in history, offering foreign tourists discounts of 70% to 10% and a variety of shopping promotions. Additionally, free shuttle buses run twice daily on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays between Gangbuk and Gangnam, allowing visitors to freely shop around areas such as Itaewon, Myeongdong, and Garosu-gil in Sinsa-dong.
Located in Seoul’s upscale residential district, the Galleria Department Store, a favorite among socialites and trendsetters, is also taking part in the Korea Shopping Season. (Image provided by Moleskine Editorial Department)
Popular department stores such as Galleria, Lotte Department Store, Shinsegae Department Store, and Hyundai Department Store, as well as duty-free shops including Donghwa, Lotte, Shilla, Walkerhill, and the Korea Tourism Organization, shopping malls like Dongdaemun Doota and Hello apM, the Gimpo International Airport Designer Outlet, the Yeoju/Paju Designer Outlet, various travel-related facilities, and performances are all part of this shopping season. The previously well-received “One More Night Promotion” (free extra night stay) has been expanded to 50 designated nationwide hotels this year, along with additional benefits such as discounts at hotel restaurants and free access to hotel facilities.
To help foreign tourists better understand the various activities of the shopping season, the event hub—KEB PLAZA in front of the Woori Bank headquarters in Myeongdong, Seoul—will provide event information and translation services in Chinese, English, and Japanese, distribute welcome gifts, host the Big Chance prize draw, feature a K-pop celebrity photo zone, and offer other convenient services. In addition, there will be special theme weeks each week, including Myeongdong Week to experience Seoul’s shopping and tourist hub, Fashion Week where visitors can become style stars, Beauty Week to try K-pop star-inspired makeup, Food Week for must-try Korean cuisine, and finally, the unforgettable Entertainment Week.
During the shopping season, free shuttle buses will run twice weekly—on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays—at 9:10 AM and 1:30 PM—between Gangbuk and Gangnam. The route will pass through the exotic Itaewon, Myeongdong with its numerous cosmetics shops, the trendy cafes and fashion brand stores of Garosu-gil in Sinsa-dong, Apgujeong and Cheongdam where you can enjoy luxury shopping by day and vibrant club culture by night, and COEX Mall where you can experience both shopping and culture. Additionally, there will be Gyeonggi-do tour buses that depart from Seoul; just a one-hour ride will take you to well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage cultural sites and the fun-filled Everland, while the K-shuttle allows convenient travel across Korea for an even more enjoyable trip.
Travelers can pick up event coupons in advance at the Taipei Branch of the Korea Tourism Organization or download them from the official website, and present them at checkout to receive discounts. There are also online events offering pre-season shopping season promotions and great prizes—visit the official Korea Shopping Season website: www.koreagrandsale.co.kr for more details.
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