List of Souvenirs from Seoul
When traveling to South Korea, you may wish to find exciting souvenirs from Seoul, like traditional clothing, colorful masks and many more delicious desserts and sweets. These are some of the top souvenirs from South Korea you can get at many gift stores.
Korean Hanbok Clothing
Koreans have worn the Hanbok as part of Korean culture for over 1600 years during the Goguryeo Kingdom. These clothes were worn by all classes of people and the type of material used in making them signified the importance or the social class of the wearer. The reason for the creation of the Hanbok was to distinguish Koreans and to make the wearer feel more comfortable and easier to move about. Foreigners can also wear hanboks while visiting Seoul or, in fact, any city in South Korea.
Therefore, these traditional clothes make them good souvenirs from Seoul, South Korea. The best place to buy traditional Hanbok would be from the Gwangjang market in Jongno-gu near the “Jongno 5(o)ga” subway station. Not only is the Gwangjang market a good place for buying traditional gifts, but it is also one of the best go-to places for street food in Seoul. There are many vendors here selling budget and delicious Korean food.
Traditional Korean Hanbok Dolls
Most of the Hanbok sold in South Korea are handmade and are made of high-quality material. As a result, they usually are pretty pricy. If you want to invest in them, they would last generations and can be an heirloom. However, if you want to have a figurine that wears Hanbok clothing, then you should buy Korean Hanbok dolls. These miniature dolls wear Hanbok clothing and come in all shapes and colors. The attention to detail and the type of fabric used on these dolls will determine the price. But, they are exponentially cheaper than buying the actual clothing and can be good South Korean souvenirs for your home decoration.
Korean Paper and Silk or Hanji
There is no better feeling than touching the texture of handmade paper crafted as it was used in the old days, using mulberry bark to make durable sheets of paper. Such papers have been used to cover walls and floors and used as calligraphy sheets for traditional paintings and writings. The wide use of these thick papers was because of their strength and ink-absorbent characteristics when used for calligraphy.
If you are a fan of calligraphy, these artisan souvenirs from Seoul would be very nice to have. According to locals, you can buy Kanji papers from Il-Shin Pil Bang shop, 일신당필방, which is located around Jong-ro, along Insadong Street. There are still other shops in this neighborhood, too.
Traditional Wooden Korean Masks
The traditional Korean masks or “tal” are one of the most unique souvenirs from South Korea. These masks represent the ancient belief that these are faces of the old gods who came down to earth and are part of worshipping rituals. Sometimes, they are used in order to expel evil spirits from places and are occasionally part of traditional dances. These masks have different names, Hahoe, Sandae, and Talchum, and are used interdependently in South Korean cultural and heritage activities. These traditional Korean masks are relatively easy to acquire, and almost all gist shops sell a version of them.
Tteok-Bokki Rice Cakes
When it comes to Korean cuisine, Tteok-bokki rice cakes are some of the best souvenirs from Seoul for bringing home. These rice cakes are all over street markets and are sold in packages ready to be cooked with kimchi sauce. Sometimes, you see them barbeque Tteok-bokki, which are equally nice and somehow less chewy. There is no worry about where to find them as any convenience store sells them.
