Myeong-dong: Where Fashion, Culture and Gourmet Meet

food fashion nightlife sight seeing

Myeongdong, a fashion and financial district in Jung-gu Seoul, is a fun place to spend the day, treating yourself to a great lunch, a glass of red wine and bags filled with the latest designer clothes.
Whether you prefer the convenience of shopping malls and department stores, or enjoy window-shopping on pedestrian friendly streets, Myeongdong suits your shopping style– catering even to boutique and street market lovers. It is a mid-high priced district where you can seek out the trendiest fashions and accessories and, of course, grab a tall non-fat latte at Starbucks.
Throngs of twenty-somethings head to the heart of the city, for a day of wandering and shopping. The streets are lined with International stores, restaurants, bars and five-star hotels. It is indeed a hot spot, so if you want to avoid congestion, visit during the weekdays, or better yet during the Korean holidays.
Autumn in Korea is the most beautiful time of the year, and Myeongdong has shops to get you back to school or work looking like you stepped off a million dollar runway.
Seoul’s first GAP recently opened its doors in Myeongdong, offering brand names at prices lower than Polo or Bean Pole. A pair of pants will cost you between 60-80,000W. Shopping malls include Lotte Dept. Store, Migliore and Shinsegae Dept. Store, among others. Seoul Travel & Culture Magazine says you can't miss Avatar mall located one block away from the Chinese Embassy.
There is more than just shopping to enjoy in the area, home to the Gothic style Myeongdong Cathedral, with benches under foliage outside, Namsangol Hanok Village, the Postal Museum, Chinese Street, and traditional Korean restaurants like Jeonju Jungang Hoegwan, where you can dine on bipimbap for 9,000W. (Myeong-dong Stn. Line 4, Exit 6). There are many banks and, City Hall area, with its myriad of attractions, is within walking distance.
Keep an eye on the newspaper for the Myeongdong Festival, which will include a colorful parade, a beauty pageant, traditional wedding ceremony, folk play, street fashion shows and makeup shows. Officially the most expensive land in Seoul and Nationwide, Myeongdong is a must-see for anyone visiting the Nation’s capital. It’s an affluent place where fashion, culture and gourmet meet.