Insadong
인사동
Seoul’s most traditional cultural street, lined with galleries, antique shops, hanji and craft shops, and traditional teahouses. The spiral-ramp mall Ssamziegil is a landmark.
Insadong was where Joseon-era officials and painters lived. Today its main street, Insadong-gil, is about 700 meters long. Along it and in the alleys around it are more than a hundred galleries, antique shops, hanji and ceramic craft shops, and traditional teahouses tucked into hanok houses, making it ideal for buying Korean-style souvenirs. The landmark Ssamziegil is a four-story small mall with a spiral ramp, housing shops run by local designers. The main street is pedestrianized on weekends. Many storefront signs are written in Korean, including the Starbucks branch, which is one of its distinctive features. It is about a 3-minute walk from Insadong Station on Subway Line 3, and it can be combined with Bukchon, Ikseon-dong and Changdeokgung for a half-day itinerary.
Opening hours
Shops approx. 10:00–20:00
Nearby sights
- Jogyesa Temple
- Ikseon-dong Hanok Street
- MMCA Seoul
- Jongmyo Shrine
- Changdeokgung Palace
- Gwanghwamun Square & Cheonggyecheon
- Bukchon Hanok Village
- Myeongdong