4 Things to Do at Dongdaemun (Seoul)

Dongdaemun Market is a popular shopping district in Seoul where you can find lots of large shopping malls. The malls open till late, so the area is very colourful and vibrant at night. You can refer to the map at the bottom of this article to get a rough idea of the attractions’ locations. If you like late-night shopping, it would be more convenient to stay at a hotel in this area. JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul is a great hotel located right beside Dongdaemun Station, and is minutes away from the popular shopping malls. Below are four fun things to do at Dongdaemun Market!

1. Shop at Zone One (Retail Shops)

Dongdaemun Market consists of two main areas: Zone 1 is mainly for retail shoppers and tourists, while Zone 2 is mainly for wholesalers.

Zone 1 is located near Dongdaemun Station. Over here, the popular malls are Doota (part of Doosan Tower), Hello APM, Good Morning City, Migliore, and Freya Town. All of these malls are located near each other. The malls sell a huge variety of clothes and fashion accessories (mainly for ladies). The wife preferred to shop at Hello APM and Migliore because she liked the style of the clothes here, and they were more value-for-money.

The malls in Zone 1 open through the night (8.30am to 5am), and the wife shopped until about 2am. Lucky for me, there was free wifi at most of the malls so I could kill time with my iPhone (tip for guys, remember to bring a battery pack, you will need it).

How to get to Zone 1
Take the metro to Dongdaemun History Culture Park station and go out from Exit 14. You will see the major malls like Hello APM, Good Morning City, Migliore, etc.

2. Shop at Zone Two (Wholesale Shops)

Zone 2 is located on the other side of Dongdaemun History and Culture Park. Check out this Google Map of Migliore (Zone 1) and Designer Club (Zone 2) to see what I mean; “Designer Club” mall is located in zone 2.  If you happen to be a wholesaler or aspiring entrepreneur who is starting your own blogshop, this is the ideal place to shop for you.

However, if you are a retail shopper who doesn’t mind the discomfort of shopping at a wholesale market, you may find bargain buys at wholesale prices here. Take note that the shop owners may be rude to you since you are not a wholesaler. Three popular malls are Jeil Pyeonghwa, Heungin Stardom and Designer’s Club.

How to get to Zone 2
Take the metro to Dongdaemun History Culture Park station and go out from Exit 2. Zone 2 is a 8-minute walk away. See this Google Map directions to Dongdaemun Zone 2 .

3. Visit the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DPP)

The Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DPP) is a beautiful and majestic architectural building located near the Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station. It has a artistically designed interior, along with seminar rooms and exhibition halls. The building functions as a place to facilitate international cultural exchanges.

How to get to Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DPP)
Take the metro to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station and go out from Exit 1.

4. Eat Authentic Korean Bingsu at Okrumong

Over at basement level 2 of Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DPP), you will find Okrumong, a cafe that is famous for using traditional Korean cooking methods to create authentic Korean bingsu! We ordered the Traditional Red Bean Bingsu (KRW 8000), which was served with brassware to maintain optimal temperature. We also learnt that the bingsu’s red bean is prepared using the traditional method of cooking in large cast-iron cauldrons. Most importantly, the bingsu tasted great! It was subtly sweet without being overly-rich. The red bean complimented the ice shavings nicely to create a delicious dessert.

Read our full review: Okrumong – Authentic Korean Bingsu at Dongdaemun (Seoul)!

Okrumong
Address: DongDaemun Design Plaza (DPP), Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Basement Level 2, Store 11

Directions
Take the metro to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station and go out from Exit 1 to reach Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DPP). Okrumong is located in basement level 2 of DPP.

This article is part of our completely free and fantastic Ultimate Seoul Travel Guide. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away?

Rough Map of Dongdaemun