A word of apology for this late posting, a family member was hospitalized and underwent an operation. So last week I was on and off at the hospital. She’s still in hospital as she still hasn’t fully recovered, age being one of the reasons and the other, she being diabetic.
Shopping spells happiness for most of us, ladies, I mean. I think that it was Bo Derek, the sexy Hollywood actress who said, “Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping." So today I’m going to make you all very happy. I must tell you that Daegu is a shopper’s paradise. Just make sure that you don’t run out of money, it’s definite you won’t run out of shop s here in Daegu. Another thing to remember when shopping in Korea is that credit card facilities are not readily available in some shopping outlets, especially at the traditional markets and smaller shops. You’ll have no problem with the Duty-free shops and big departmental stores though. So if you intend to use your credit card always ask before making any transaction to make sure. Well, if you’re ready with your shopping lists of what you want to buy, then let’s not waste any more precious time. One more thing, please leave those high heels behind because you are going to do a lot of walking. Get into your most comfortable pair of walking shoes instead.
Within the Daegu Distribution Complex, an area covering 837,721, there are an exhibition and convention center, an electronics complex, an electrical products complex, an industrial materials complex, a textile product complex, a general apparel complex, an enterprise complex, a logistics complex, and other support facilities.
This area is very attractive and convenient for shopping with diverse products covering a wide range of industries, including textiles, garments, electronics, software, electric appliances, machine parts, metals, tools, logistics, furniture, and miscellaneous goods.
Electronics Complex)(Electron Zone)
- Household Appliances: TVs, DVDs, audio systems, radios, digital cameras, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, and so on
- Communication Equipment: telephones, facsimiles, transmitting & receiving antennas, and other types of communication equipment
- Computer: personal computers & accessories, office automatic equipment, software, digital games, and so on.
- Women's Casual Wear: skirts, dresses, blouses, trousers, underwear
- Men's Casual Wear: business suits, jackets, shirts, sweaters
- Sports Wear
- Fabric & Yarn: natural and chemical yarns and fabrics
- Bed Clothes: bedcovers, bed sheets, pillow cases
- Home Textile: curtains, carpets, wallpapers, and so on
The DDC Textile Complex within the Daegu Distribution Complex has over 600 stores, each specializing in things like fabric, yarn, blankets, clothing, all at reasonable prices. Open daily from 9am to 8pm, the complex is closed on the first and third Saturdays of each month, as well as holidays. Take bus Nos. 305, 306, 535, 613, or 929 to get there.
- Machinery: textile machines & their parts, working machines, automotive parts, and other machines
- Assembly Metals: bearings, bolts, molds, flanges, and other metal tools
- Electric wires, transformers, fuses, generators, electric motors, condensers, and so on.
EXCO or Daegu Exhibition and Convention Center was opened in 2001 making it the first provincial city to have its own exhibition center. All the five floors of the EXCO building are taken up by the various exhibition and convention halls and conference rooms. However, the first floor also has a business center, a post office, a coffee shop, a florist, a snack lounge, a convenience store and ATM machine. In Basement 1 are the International Conference rooms, the Geumho and Palgong, seven banquet rooms and the in-house restaurants. The EXCO Mall(Furniture & Living Interior) is on Basement 2.
EXCO Mall : Jung joun bang, basement of EXCO
If furniture, interior decorations, bathtubs, optical products, woodworks and ceramics are what you’re looking for, then the EXCO Mall is the place you should come to. It’s even a nice place to do some window shopping. Chonyon bisaek, Jung joun bang, Baroque, Mobilia and Borneo are some of the elegant shops to be found here.
Seomun Market is the largest Korean Traditional Market in Daegu. This market is one of the three major markets in Korea. Moved to its present location in 1920, the market is divided into 6 zones with over 4,000 shops. The largest of these buildings was Building 2, which was destroyed by fire in December 2005. Plans for the reconstruction of this building, which housed the majority of the market’s fabric shops, is still in the offing.
More or less everything can be bought here, from food to clothing to leather goods, from vendors selling agricultural and farm goods, fish and seafood, to home appliances, This market is famous for its fabrics, textiles, and clothes, accessories, ceremonial products, and traditional Korean products.
This market offers the customers an open-air market atmosphere. Seomun Market is to Daegu what the Namdaemun and Dongdaemun Markets are to Seoul though not that expansive.
During the Chosun Dynasty, Seomun Market, Daegu was known as Daegu-jang Market and was situated outside of the north gate of Daegu Fortress. During the 1920s, Daegu-jang Market moved to outside of the west gate and became known as Seomun Market (seo means "West" and mun means "gate").
Here is a guide as to where you can get the stuff you want here. Four thousand shops, all at one place, can you imagine that? Please don’t get lost in this huge playground!
District 1
1st floor: Linen and cotton, silk, dyed fabric, curtains, blankets, nylon, and synthetic fabric.
2nd floor: Silk, linen, and cotton, hanbok fabric, bedding.
District 2
Basement: Seafood, seafood restaurants, traditional wedding food, ddeok, banchan, clothing.
1st floor: Bowls and dishes, mats, towels, underwear, clothes, footwear, butchers, blankets, ginseng, teas.
2nd floor: Lingerie, lace, knits, socks, blankets, towels, sweaters, sportswear.
3rd floor: Textiles for dresses and suits, denim, corduroy, velvet.
Dried Fish/Seafood Shopping Section Dried seafood, octopus, shrimp, Alaskan pollack, squid, seaweed.
District 4
1st floor: Textiles for suits and dresses, women's wear, men's wear, mirrors, clocks, imported goods, baby products.
2nd floor: Textiles for suits, blankets, socks, towels, women's wear.
3rd floor: Men's wear, women's wear, swimming suits, casual wear, T-shirts, dress shirts, brand name products, leather goods, children's clothes.
District 5
1st floor: Tableware, ceramics, plastic goods, utensils, tables.
2nd floor: Men's and women's wear, designer clothes.
Seomun Market, Daegu also includes the Dongsan Clothing Wholesale Market, which comprises of 4 sections, namely:-
The Basement: Tableware, kitchenware, cleaning goods.
1st floor: Men's and women's wear, lingerie, toys, carpets, footwear, maternity wear.
2nd floor: Men's and women's wear, children's wear.
3rd floor: Men's and women's wear, bags, fur, brand name clothes.
Operating Hours:
From 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Closed on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of every month.
Bus Nos. 404, 504, 514, 603, 836, and 910 all stop here.
The Nammun (South Gate) Shijang is a similar but smaller market. The Chilseong Shijang, located on the east edge of downtown near the stream, has great housewares and furniture.
Even smaller is the Gyodong Shijang south of Daegu station and east of Dongseong-no. You’d be surprised, Gyodong Shijang is a famous market for Koreans, but still relatively unknown for most foreigners. It is actually quite an expansive area downtown, which roughly lies in the big area east of Jungangno Station.
It is also a good area in Daegu to buy computers and electronic goods. In fact, you’ll likely be able to walk away with as good a deal, as you might find in one of Seoul’s electronics markets, such as Yongsan Electronics Market or Techno Mart. Although not as big as Daegu's main electronics market, Jeonjagwan, it still has some good prices.
This area is also good for buying bootleg DVDs of movies that have just come out in the theatres which are surprisingly, of good quality. Vendors will usually sell 3 DVDs for 10,000.This is also the place to get things on the black-market. This sub-market is known by locals as “Yankee Sijang” or “Gukje Sijang”. Be warned, they’ll give you a hard time if you try to take pictures.
And what could a bootleg market be without an element of the oldest profession in the world? After dark, you might be approached by streetwalkers as you walk along these roads.
Is it jewellery that you want to buy? Then you’ve got to go to the Jewelry District in the vicinity, on the opposite side of the Daegu Train Station.
In 1970, shops that sold and repaired wristwatches and clocks started to operate their businesses around the Daegu Train Station. In the mid-1970s, companies that dealt with pure gold and 18k gold were established, and in the 1980s this area was transformed into the jewelry center of Daegu and Gyeongbuk by dealing with both production and distribution. Presently, 250 -300 shops are in operation with modernized production facilities and distribution networks.
Want to have a look at the underground arcades in Daegu? The underground markets, or arcades, offer many different types of stores. Similar to their open air cousins, underground markets offer shopping convenience despite the weather conditions.
The Jungang and the Daeshin Arcades start from the Jungang-no subway station up to the area west of it.
While we’re still on the subject of traditional Korean markets, we must not forget about the Yangnyeongsi market, the medicinal center or herbal medicine market, which is situated in Namseongno, Jung-gu in the opposite direction of the Jungang Police Box. This 700-meter long street summarizes the tradition of oriental medicine in Korea. The Yangnyeongsi market comprises of 56 pharmacies, 24 clinics, 76 wholesalers of ingredients, 20 ginseng stores, and 150 medicine brewery shops. In this market, visitors can experience oriental medical treatments like herbal medicine or acupuncture and buy first-class medicines at reasonable prices.
Yangnyeongsi market, Daegu is the solitary officially selected special zone for herbal medicines in Korea. For almost 350 years, Yangnyeongsi market, Daegu has been the main center for herbal medications. During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) this market was the main supplier of medicinal herbs to China, Manchuria, and Russia.
So if you’re thinking of bringing back some ginseng or some other herbs for someone back home, this is the place to buy it. The choice is wide here and you’ll never get it any cheaper elsewhere.
For hipper, younger styles the Yasi-golmok, in the Samdeok-dong area downtown, has several streets of boutique shops that sell the latest fashions. Prices are reasonable, but the wares are pretty much limited to mostly women's clothes.
If you like to visit Yasi-golmok Street, just get on the City bus Nos. 306, 404 or 613. Don't worry! The clothes in those shops are of good quality as well as being reasonably priced. That's why young ladies love to visit the street.
Once you reach there, you will see a lot of small shops, the size of about ten square meters. The shops at Yasi-golmok Street, basically sell clothes and other fashion items. This particular feature of this locality attracts fashionable young ladies. And that's why the street is called Yasi-golmok, which means the street of cute foxes, referring to the ladies.
I’m going to introduce you now to a couple of streets well known for the delicious food served.
Originating around 1972, some grogshops in the DongIn-dong area served Jjim-galbi as a side dish or to accompany wine at a reasonable price. These grogshops gained in popularity, and many more restaurants mushroomed establishing this district as it is today. After finishing the meat, you can mix rice with the seasoned meat juice for lunch or dinner. Jjim-galbi goes well with liquor. Lots of Jjim-galbi restaurants are packed near the Dongin Police Stand to the east of City Hall.
The Deurangil Street is a famous street known as the “eating street” by the locals and “restaurant road” by many foreigners. Both sides of the road between the Korea Telecom Suseong Office and Suseong Pond are packed with large restaurants featuring many types of delicious cuisine, with unique interior designs and large parking lots.
Remember Mitsusaki Rintaro, the Japanese who built the irrigation reservoir for the Korean farmers near where he lived in Daegu? And also how he wished to be buried near it upon his death. The Suseong plain became a residential area and the streets filled with restaurants. I believe this must be the same street referred to. What do you think?
Fancy a bit of the arts and culture while you’re in Daegu? This pleasant area of Bongsan Culture Street highlights the culture and arts in Daegu. Various exhibitions take place in large and small galleries on this street. In between the special exhibitions, paintings and artistic works can be appreciated at the galleries here free of charge.
As with most cities in South Korea, large discount stores have cropped up all over Daegu. Most of them are open 10am to 11pm daily with a couple of popular locations open until midnight on Saturdays. All of them have parking available and sell everything from groceries to toothpaste.
E-Mart Seongseo branch in Igok-dong, Dalseo-gu, Daegu is an 8-storied building, with the 1st floor, for food, the 2nd for fashion accessories, and the 3rd for household supplies whilst the 4th to the 8th floors are for parking. (enough for 1,000 cars.) There are six elevators for the customers' convenience. Escalators are installed from the 1st to the 8th floors to help customers move easily and quickly to their destinations. There’s a playroom on the 3rd floor and a MacDonald's on the 1st floor. Other branches include:-
Manchon Branch :1356-5 Manchon-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu
Weolbae Branch :555 Daecheon-dong, Dalseo-gu, Daegu
It is the 33rd E-Mart in Korea and the 3rd branch in Daegu, following Seongseo and Manchon. It has a parking lot that can hold 1,000 cars. The first floor is for groceries and a food court. The second floor is for clothing, sports, music, books, home appliances, glasses, a hair salon, an oriental medicine clinic, a pharmacy and a children's play room.
Dalseo Branch :521 Gamsam-dong, Dalseo-gu, Daegu (B3 of Woobang Dream City)
This branch opened on 24 October, 2002 with an area of 8,836m and parking lots accommodating around 710 cars. The B2 level includes a travel agency, a cleaner's, and a cross-stitch shop, and the B3 level deals with various kinds of fresh and cooked food, common/processed food, and home commodities.
Siji Branch :566-3 Sinmae-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu
Bisan Branch :1612-3 Bisan-dong, Seo-gu, Daegu
Chilseong Branch : Mart in Spectrum City at 20-1 Chilsung-dong, Buk-gu, Daegu
Banyaweol Branch :520-1 Sinseo-dong, Dong-gu, Daegu
Homeplus Samsung Tesco's goal is to become a corporation that is the best at management and hope to become Korea's greatest distribution company, while internally, attaining the best management performance, providing customer satisfaction and at the same time contributing to the local community. They have branches in:-
ㆍDaegu Branch : 378-23 Chilsung 2-ga, Buk-gu, Daegu
ㆍNamdaegu Branch :959-1 Daemyeong 6-dong, Nam-gu, Daegu (formerly Feelmart)
ㆍNaedang Branch :65-8 Naedang-dong, Seo-gu, Daegu
ㆍDongchon Branch :908-5 Geomsa-dong, Dong-gu, Daegu
ㆍSangin Branch :171-1 Sangin-dong, Dalseo-gu, Daegu (Daesong Skyrex B1-B4)
ㆍSeongseo Branch : 230-11 Yongsan-dong, Dalseo-gu, Daegu
The Seongseo Branch is proud of its status as the largest wholesaler in Korea (occupying 23,596 pyeong in area.) A park has been donated to the city of Daegu to help beautify the place. Its building, including a performance hall, a trail, a fountain, and a bicycle-path, harmonizes well with its natural surroundings. A large parking lot for 1200 cars and manned by parking attendants has been provided for the customers’ convenience. There is a food court here so that customers can enjoy a meal or refreshments should they feel hungry during their shopping. There is even an art and culture center where courses are held for the residents here.
ㆍChilgok Branch : 968 Dongcheon-dong, Daegu
ㆍChilgok IC Branch : 1369-1 Gwaneum-dong, Buk-gu, Daegu
I know you big spenders must be getting impatient for me to take you to the big departmental stores and luxurious malls. Don’t worry, I’m coming to it now.
Migliore Daegu is part of a large and extensive network together with Migliore Dongdaemun, Myeongdong, Busan, Daejeon, and Gwangju. This shopping mall comprises of more than 2,000 stores, including restaurants, food courts, various miscellaneous shops and a huge stationary stage. In this shopping centre, visitors can purchase clothes for men, women and children, leather goods, shoes, accessories, sports accessories and imported goods etc. The purpose of Migliore Daegu is to sell the various commodities at lower prices while maintaining the quality. This fashion shopping mall is the favorite shopping center amongst the younger generation, because of its up-to-date and trendy fashion displays. The designs are exclusive and are of the latest trends in the world of fashion.
Open daily 11am to midnight, (extension of 1 hour on Saturdays) it's closed the first and third Mondays of the month.
Take bus nos. 104, 105, 106, 156, 242, 309, 401, 402, 404, 404-1, 407, 425, 427, 504,508, 518, 601, 608, 724, 903, 909, 910, 939, or 980, or take the subway to Jungang-no station.
I don’t think that the Lotte Department Stores need any introduction from me. They make up the largest department store chain in Korea with 22 department store in locations nationwide. There are seven in Seoul, two each in Busan and Daegu, and one each in Gwanju, Ulsan, Incheon, Daejean, Jeonju, Bundang, Bupyeong, Ilsan, Anyang, Pohang and Changwon. 
The Lotte Department Store Daegu Branch, located in Daegu-si Buk-gu, provides a complex connected to the Daegu Station, offering the best top-quality service and a wide selection of goods. The Daegu branch holds over 700 Korean brands and imported luxury brands.
It is a shopping center with 9 movie theaters and various restaurants in the building. One can purchase almost everything from food, commodities, and imported products to clothing and sporting goods. One can also take various courses for cultural activities.
Store hours are from 10:30am to 8:00pm with extended hours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It is closed for one Monday a month.
Store Information
- 10F Coffee Shop, Game Center
- 9F Lotte Cinema, CD Store
- 8F Restaurants, Family restraunt(TGIF)
- 7F Home, Living essentials, Sky Park, Event Hall
- 6F Men's Formal, Casual
- 5F Children, Golf, Sports
- 4F Women's Casual
- 3F Women's Formal
- 2F Women's Boutiques
- 1F Imported Luxury Brands
- B1 Imported Luxury Brands, Cosmetics, Shoes,Miscellaneous Goods
- B2 Food, Snack(Food Court), Culture Center, Event Hall
City Bus Nos. 306, 349, 401, 402, 424, 439, 514, 524, 603, 616, 616-1, 623, 628, 636, 646, 646-1, 704, 708, 717 or 730.
And if you’re staying in the Dalseo-gu area it’ll be much nearer if you go to the Sangin Branch in Duryu 2-dong, Dalseo-gu.
Located in Daegu-si Dalseo-gu, the Lotte Department Store Sangin Branch offers the most convenient facilities and subsidiary facilities. Subsidiary facilities include a culture center, sky park, travel agency, hair salon, and more. The Sangin branch presents a one-stop shopping experience for all of its customers along with a variety of cultural events and campaigns for an improved shopping culture.
Store hours are from 10:30am to 8:00pm with extended hours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It is closed for one Monday a month.
Closed: one Monday a month (varies each month), New Year Day, Chuseok
Store Information
- 8F Park, Kids Land
- 7F Restaurants, Cultural Center, Card Service Center, Coffee Shop
- 6F Electronics / Living
- 5F Golf, Sports, Children
- 4F Men’s Wear / Men’s Shoes
- 3F Women's Formal, Lingerie, Maternity Cloth, MVG Lounge
- 2F Young Zone, Young Cafe
- 1F Miscellaneous Goods, Ladies' Shoes
- B1 Food, Food Court
- B5~B2 Parking Facility
The Dong-A Shopping Center, which is situated in Banwoldang Junction, at 53-3 Deoksan-dong, Jung-gu, is 12 stories high with 2 basements. This departmental store is a state-of-the-art shopping center with a large range of designer labels and fashions.
A huge array of goods for the different generations are nicely arranged from the first to the seventh floors. Personal items and accessories are displayed on the first floor, and the second to the fifth floors are stocked with clothing, sports outfits and equipment. The sixth floor showcases small art works, whilst electronic goods and daily commodities are on the seventh floor. The basements are utilized as a supermarket and a parking lot. For the convenience of customers, the shopping center runs an art gallery (on the 7th floor), an event hall and other cultural platforms in the same building.
Deoksan-dong, where Dong-A Shopping Center, Daegu is situated has a large selection of Western restaurants as well as Korean restaurants. This area also has a lot of bakeries and cafes.
They are open from 10:30 am to 8 pm and closed on every fourth Sunday.
City Bus Nos. 204, 305, 405, 509, 603, 609
Donga Department Store Suseong Branch in Beommul-dong, was opened on January 27, 1996. It is a 9-storied building with 5 basement levels built on a 1408 pyeong plot. Annual sales are approximately 100 billion won.
Some of the facilities include a culture center, an event hall , an art gallery, an art hall, specialized restaurants, a lounge and a beauty parlor.
According to a news bulletin in the Chosun Ilbo dated April 14 2010, the Daegu Donga Department Stores have been sold.
“Eland Retail, an affiliate of Eland Group, said Monday, "We have signed a memorandum of understanding with Hwasung Industrial to buy its retail business -- five branches of Donga Department Store and two stores of Donga Mart -- for W268 billion" (US$1=W1,133). The MOU is legally binding, so the deal essentially has been concluded, the company added.
Eland will keep all Donga employees who want to stay in their jobs, and it will not rename the department store.”
Built in 1993, this 12 storied departmental store, Debec Plaza, Daegu, is situated on the bank of the Sincheon River in Daebong-dong.
Debec Plaza in Daegu is a luxurious departmental store that sells all kinds of high quality imported and domestic products. You will also find local specialty corners here where one can buy traditional Korean goods. There is even a theater and a gallery within this departmental store. There are a number of restaurants and coffee bars, where shoppers can have refreshments or meals while shopping in this plaza.
The interior decor of the Debec Plaza, Daegu is very stylish, which includes an indoor waterfall and an acrylic aquarium. A big Dutch-made clock welcomes the customers at the entrance of this department store.
It is open from10:30 am to 8 pm, and closed on the 3rd Tuesday of every month
The Daegu Department Store, is located in the center of Dongseongno, the central street of Daegu. The basement is occupied by food shops. The other 11 floors are stocked with all kinds of quality goods such as clothing, daily commodities, electronic goods, etc.
In addition, it has cultural spaces such as event and exhibition halls, as well as restaurants and coffee shops, making it a place that’s been used frequently by many people, as a place of meeting, especially at the fountain in the plaza in front of the department store.
Open 10:30 am ~ 8:00 pm / Closed : Every Monday.
Well, guess that’s about all for today, I’m about to drop anytime now. Hope you’ve had a nice day shopping. We still haven’t seen much of Daegu so it looks like we’ll still be in Daegu for the time being.
Credits
Special thanks and appreciation to the following:
Photos and articles © courtesy
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/daegu/4012010031.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seomun_Market
http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2 taegu/59/
http://sri2006.postech.ac.kr/useful/events.php
http://www.excodaegu.com/company_ceo.asp
http://www.excodaegu.com/virtualtour.asp
Dear aida,
ReplyDeleteI was last sept in seoul(Dondaemun). for high-end fabrics. used for lady's (fashion)evening dresses. unfortunately i did'nt found that(found only chinees quality rabrics). do you know if I can find that in Daegu
regards
rach