Korea Expat BLog

Carry On Luggage Bags

since I travel regularly, gladly mixing business with pleasure : here is one of the most extensive BLog Page dedicated to buying shoulder and cross bags for juggling in metropolis, and carry-ons and luggage bags for international voyages . for the most effect, it is best to cross-reference : first by the type of bags you seek, then by neighborhood mostly within the capital of SEOUL but also Duty Free Shops and the port city of Busan or Pusan .

– being gradually updated from ThanksGiving to Christmas 2012 –

 

[ BAG TYPE INDEX ]

i. hand-carry bags,
ii. laptop or notebook cases and bags,
iii. carry-ons on-board flight,
iv. check-in luggage,
v. designer brands,
vi. fakes and copies,

 

[ STORE TYPE INDEX ]

a. Duty Free Shops,
b. Designer Brand Branches,
c. Department Stores,
d. Super-Marts,
e. (wholesale) market districts,

 

[ NEIGHBORHOOD INDEX ]

1. ApGuJeong,
2. DongDaeMun a.k.a.East Gate (will continue with an extensive Page, on top-menu of this BLog),
3. NamDaeMun a.k.a.South Gate,
4. iTaewon,
5. GukJaeShiJang a.k.a.international Market in the old shopping mecca of Busan,
6. Airports,

 

[ BY NEIGHBORHOOD ]

2. DongDaeMun meaning East Gate,

what started as a country-wide wholesale district, is now also a major shopping district for the general consumer also, although hours differ (largely retail for the consumer during day-time and early evening, then whole-sale during the wee-hours of the night). several ways to arrive here including 2 stations of SEOUL Subway Line 4, Line 1 and Line 2 also – all by the common station name of DongDaeMun .

  • Subway Line 1 travels West-East and is two blocks North of the main DongDaeMun apparel markets, because DongDaeMun is home to several other wholesale areas including textile (just West across from the actual remaining East Gate) and smaller pets like birds and fish (the whole large block East of East Gate, along the main CheonGaeCheon Street),
  • Subway Line 2 also travels West-East and goes through Southern portion of DongDaeMun apparel markets,
  • Subway Line 4 passes North-South and disects the whole of DongDaeMun apparel shopping area and interestingly divides the wholesale area (East) and consumer area (West)

 

for consumers the ideal place is on top floors of the most popular building in DongDaeMun : Doota as they will sell by price tag, and even in the now-developed South Korea, pretty rare for individual markets . for as you hop right next door onto Milleore you will learn they will quote you a price, then slice into half as you decline and leave – ditto along the other many similar tall buildings in this sector targeting consumers . if your wondering how primitive selling practice can exist on such modern buildings ? check-out the more grander buildings on larger crossing in larger cities in neighboring China //

but whole-sale for bags, from handbags to luggage : is cluttered under-ground floors of Nam-PyeongHwa SangGa (South Peace Market) at North-Eastern end of the whole DongDaeMun shopping district – very hard to find for visitors, across the road from Seoul Subway Line 4 DongDaeMun Station Exit 4 and one building to the rear AND Left . a couple of buildings across from their rear exit, also deem themselves as bag-wholesale, all underground floors . you will notice over-all hand-bags here, but in-between are luggages as well as a few on the ground floor .

 

 

3. NamDaeMun Market

above DongDaeMun (East Gate)was the original wholesale apparel market, while NamDaeMun (South Gate) was a general market, but added pizzaz as a fresh whole-sale area for younger trendy fashion while South Korea was developing onto the eighties .

NamDaeMun Market is the whole large block North of Seoul Subway Line 4 HwaeHyun Station, with the actual NamDaeMun (South Gate) to the West and the mighty (and Korea’s oldest) ShinSeGae Department Store Main Branch to the East .

  • the South line and inner core is still general market,
  • while West line dots ladies fashion accessories, eye-glasses and hair care products
  • North-West corner lines are camera and photographic equipment wholesale (aside from this, two subway stations East at ChoongMuRo station : Northern block dots many old camera stores because this is Korea’s movie production district as in Hollywood)
  • and hand-bags and luggages will be stream-lined on its Northern line buildings (behind ShinSeGae Department Store and West-ward) mostly at ground-level
  • Eastern block lay two wings of ShinSeGae Department Store (South is the new wing) with designer brands and bags on lower floors .

 

 

4. iTaewon

as South Korea was recovering from the Korean War, iTaewon was the shopping place for military personnel from YongSan US Base just West of iTaewon, and international community in HanNamDong and UN Village both on iTaewon’s Eastern entrance . they all came for big-size shoes, made-to-fit custom business shirts and suits with travel luggage, while even locals came for the latter . all-the-while T-shirts manufactured for export were smuggled for sale here too, which was closer to down-town than DongDaeMun at far-East when SEOUL was still small within the old “Gates”.

it is towards the end of the 1980’s as G.i’s started shopping in-base due to South Korea’s rising costs and Japanese tourists increased, that European designer brand copies and fakes started appearing, mostly in watches, purse and hand-bags . also custom-made (from import) leather outfits were short-lived but popular . as the nation further developed, watches and business bags for men started coming out for Japanese appetite . and now past the Millennium : Chinese tourists are gradually taking place of Japanese .

as Korean living-standards rise and virtually all of infamous European and American brands have geniune boutiques in Seoul’s riche ApGuJeong and ChongDam in KangNam District South of the Han River, copies and fakes are officially investigated, but still exist if you ask for in iTaewon as well as DongDaeMun . should also note here, local fakes Post-Millennium : quality is incomparably superior to Chinese but also the price doubled+.

non-brand luggage aren’t dirt-cheap no more but durability has improved and you can find them concentrated on South-West line of the main iTaewon road, that is West-end of Seoul Subway Line iTaewon Station Exit 4 (or NokSaPyeong Station Exit 3 and just across the pedestrian crossing). while you are here, check the now-bustling alley just South of this main road, as the new trend in connecting shopping and consuming area to the new YongSanGuCheong regional administrative building, recognizable in Goliath blue glass, linking iTaewon West with Crown and Capital tourist hotels further South towards BanPo Bridge .

 

 

have luggage, will travel,
– Korea Expat BLog, mid-November 2012 –

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