10 Souvenirs to buy in Korea
This post is all about souvenirs from Korea! Here are 10 things to buy for friends and family when you visit Seoul that won’t break the bank. This post covers souvenirs in Seoul.
1. Socks
Definitely pick up some cute character socks. You can find k pop socks, hello kitty, rilakuma, Pokémon, Marvel comics, Disney princesses and more. They are pretty good quality and they are only 1000 KRW or less than $1 USD and they make a great gift. Watch the sizing though… most of the character socks are made to fit women who wear a side 8-9 or smaller.
2. Sheet masks
Korea specializes in making sheet masks and I believe they even produce sheet masks for other countries. When you come to Korea you will find sheet masks at just about every beauty store. Some are more expensive than others. It’s a great gift to get for friends and family interested in beauty and skincare. My personal favorite masks are by Mediheal and you can buy theses at the Mediheal store in Myeongdong and at drug stores like Olive & Young. The cheapest sheet masks can be bought in bulk for about 50 cents each and some of the higher quality masks can go up to $9 USD or more for hydrogel and super high quality masks. This makes a great souvenir for girls.
3. Flavored Almonds
One of my favorite snacks in korea are their flavored almonds, which are basically almonds coated in a sweet flavored coating. The honey butter almond is the most popular flavor, but if you go to places like Myeongdong or Namdaemun, or even convenience stores and places like e-mart & olive & young, you can find different almond flavors like yogurt, strawberry yogurt, caramel pretzel, and even super spicy almonds that are supposed to be flavored like the spicy korean ramen that everyone is using for the spicy ramen challenge. I personally like the laver (or seaweed) flavored almonds as well as the spicy ones. You can purchase these for about $5-7 USD. They also have smaller packages. This makes a great souvenir for guys.
4. Acne patches
You can buy these Nexcare acne patches from Olive & Young, or you can buy the COSrx brand from A-Land (a store with locations in Hongdae, Myeongdong, and the Starfield Mall among other places). These things are magical. When you have a whitehead, you clean your face, put this sticker over your pimple, and leave it overnight and when you wake up and take off the sticker, your pimple will have opened up and the gunk will have cleared out and just be sitting there on your face to wipe or wash off. These cost around $3-8 USD
5. Dojang stamp
A dojang is a personalized name stamp that makes a great souvenir that you can buy in Insadong. You can have your name written in hangul characters or in English. In the old days in japan and Korea, people would use these stamps to put their official signature on documents, and i think it’s still used in some situations to this day. I think this makes a great personalized gift for someone who likes stationery and still sends snail mail. This probably my #1 Insadong souvenir!
6. Toothbrush holders
If you watch Korean dramas, you will see people using these toothbrush holders. This is a cute useful and unique item to get for your friends and family back home. I mean whenever I go on a trip, I can never find my toothbrush holder when I need it so it’s always nice to have some extra ones on hand. They make a Korean character, fruit, and these cute ones with little faces on them. They also have a suction cup on the back so you can stick it to the mirror. This will cost you anywhere from $1-$3 and you can get them at DAISO or Korean drug stores.
7. Dish Scrubbies
I just love these Koeran dish scrubbers. They are just so colorful and effective. I mean who doesn’t need a dish scrubber? They make strawberries, cats, and other cute characters. If you know someone who likes to crochet, they also sell the yarn used to make this at Namdaemun. You will see old Korean ladies selling these scrubbers at the local markets, and buy you can also buy them at DAISO and e mart.
8. Tea from Osulloc
Osulloc is like the Teavana of Korea, and they have some really unique blends, which mostly include green or black tea mixed with fruit flavors and scents. my personal favorite is the green wedding tea. In the store, you can smell all the different tea scents, and you can also get gift box. They also sell this concentrated jar of matcha spread that is good. When you are Osulloc don’t forget to try their shaved ice! The green tea one has a super rich and concentrated matcha flavor that reminds me of Japanese green tea shaved ice.
9. Dragons Beard Candy
This candy is made of rice, honey, and nuts and seeds. The rice and honey if fermented and then stretched in to 16,00 strands. Then they cut up the strands of and put a little scoop of nuts and seeds in the middle. They have original flavor, chocolate, and pumpkin flavor. You can buy this at Insadong, and also in Myeongdong at night near the Lotte Department store. This candy tastes best when frozen, and as long as its not too hot, you can take it home in your suitcase as a gift for family and friends!
10. Kids Pajamas
I love Korean pajamas for my kids. They make these lightweight pajamas called ice box pajamas that re great in the summer, and in the wintertime, they also make nice long sleeved pajamas that are high quality. You can buy these at the kids clothing area of Namdaemun market, and also at places like E-mart.