“I need to go to holiday shopping for my family back home and I have no idea what to buy!”
I’ve heard some concerns about the holiday shopping from my expat friends. Yes, it can be hard if you are new here. What to buy, how much should I spend, and am I getting a good deal? I don’t know! So, here I am, presenting ‘your holiday shopping guide in Korea on a budget’. All items are around $20, small, and easy to ship. These items are culturally interesting, beautiful, and it’s in your budget for sure. Places I recommend are Gwangjang Sijang (Gwangjang Market), Namdaemun Market, Dongdaemun Market, and Jongro. Here are your options.
Tea
Korea is a land of tea. Different from China or England, but definitely tea is a big part of the culture. Not just tea leafs, there are many kinds of tea made of fruits, vegetables, and even woods. Nowadays many manufacturers produce the tea in powder or liquid for your connivence.
Korea is not well known for its tea culture as much as China or England, but we have been drinking tea for a long time. Even when I was little, barley tea was a common drinking water because we had to boil the tap water before drinking. We always boiled a big pot of water and made barely tea as drinking water for the family.
#Options for traditional tea: Green tea, Green tea with brown rice, Jujube tea, plum tea, cinnamon tea, citrus tea, ginger tea.
#Where to get: Grocery stores, supermarkets, traditional markets.
#Price: from 3,000 won (50 tea bags) ~ 10,000 won (1 jar of traditional tea)
Socks
Korea is a sock heaven. Colour, cartoon, style, price… you name it, it’s there. Earlier this year, President of the US, President Obama was the most popular subject in socks. You can also find all the different kinds of socks for just only 1,000 won. Maybe it’s odd to send ‘socks’ home, but it is a cultural product of Korea!
#Where to get: anywhere. Street vendors usually have the best collection. Go Namdaemun of Gwangjang Sijang for a whole sale price.
#Price: 1,000 won/ pair and they will give you some extra if you buy a lot. That’s how they role.
Painting
Watercolor painting or ink-and-wash painting has a long history in Korea. There are many artists around the country, and you can get it relatively cheap from local artists. Also painting on Korean fans could be a good present. They can write customer’s name in the painting.
#Where to get: lots of artists are working in Insadong.
#Price: 5,000 won for a small painting ~ various per size.
Mask
Mask theater show (Talchum) is one of Korea’s national treasures. Actors wore masks to protect their identity while they were making fun of their politicians and this society in the old days. Each mask indicates a different person, position, and emotion.
It comes with various sizes for a souvenir. The store takes care of through packing if you ask.
#Where to get: Insadong is the best place.
#Price: around 25,000 won/ full size but prices are various depend on the size and quality.
Scarf
What is so special about the scarf? Well, you’ll be surprised! This is my favorite selection of all the items on the list: scarf with Hangeul (Korean) written on it. This is both culturally unique and useable every day. Great mash up!
5 different colors, and at least two different styles: hand written font and gothic font. It’s big and fairly good quality for the price.
#Where to get: Gwangjang Sijang, Insadong and many street vendors
#Price: 15,000 won/ each. Also, fancy designer shops also do Hangeul design.
Greeting cards
You can finish your holiday package with a unique greeting card. My favorite is the one with hanbok design. Usually, greetings card comes with the next year’s zodiac animal. Next year is a dragon: that explains a lot of dragon decoration around the country.
#Where to get: Insadong has the most various selection, and most of the souvenir store have it.
Also, Post office introduced 15 different selections. It’s cheaper than other stores and it comes with a stamp (National delivery only. You have to pay extra for international delivery).
#Price: 700 won ~ 3,000 won according to the complexity of design and quality.
Little souvenirs
Cell phone charm, fridge magnet, flag, notepad, fan, pins… There are many cheap and cute souvenirs you can pick up!
Extra tip
Use the pretty pockets (like the one on the top photo) to wrap your presents. For a little extra, it will bring your present up to the next level. It worked like a charm for me, every single time. You can buy it 1,000 won ~ 3,000 won.
Good luck with your holiday shopping! I’m sure your friends and family back home are happy with your ideas! Check out Barcelo Discount code when traveling to Korea.
