What to buy as gifts when traveling to Korea?

Buying souvenirs for yourself or gifts for friends and family is always an exciting part of the Korean travel experience. Here are some souvenirs you should "pocket" when traveling to Korea.

Cosmetics

Korean beauty and skin care products are spreading all over the world and are loved by many people. This is one of the best things to buy in Korea. So, if you don’t know what to buy when traveling to Korea, this is definitely a great suggestion. BB Cream, primer, moisturizer, mask, lipstick… are popular items that everyone can use.

You can choose from some famous Korean cosmetic brands such as: Innisfree, Etude House, Missha, Skinfood, The FaceShop, Olive Young...

Korean Red Ginseng

Ginseng is widely grown in Korea. This is one of the good foods that helps strengthen the immune system, improve health and cure diseases. In the land of kimchi, in addition to being used directly, ginseng is processed into many types from drinks, snacks, candies...

You can find and buy these products at supermarkets nationwide or in ginseng specialty stores. Among Korean ginsengs, the most famous is the red ginseng brand “Cheongkwanjang” which is very popular among locals and tourists. They are expensive but worth buying as gifts for your important people.

Dried seaweed

As a specialty, a popular dish in Korean meals, seaweed is also a gift you can buy as a gift when traveling to Korea.

You can buy dried seaweed to make soup or processed and marinated seaweed that can be eaten immediately (often called gim). Not only is seaweed cheap, it is also quite light, so you can buy a lot to give as gifts to your friends and colleagues.

Korean Rice Wine

Soju and Makgeolli (Korean rice wine) are two popular alcoholic beverages in Korea. When you come to Korea, you should definitely try both of these wines to better understand the cuisine of your country. Each wine has its own unique flavor. Traditional Soju has a rather strong taste, but now manufacturers have created wines with delicious, slightly sweet flavors like fruit juice, so they are loved by many young people.

Korean traditional handicrafts

You should definitely buy at least one of the many traditional Korean handicrafts from plates, spoon and chopstick sets, ceramics, teacups… Dojang seals were used as signatures in ancient Korean documents. You can buy custom-made seals with your name engraved on them as gifts for everyone.

Hanji paper is a traditional handmade paper, this item is loved in Korea, they come in many beautiful colors and designs, very suitable for gifts.

Another craft that can be bought as a gift is a handmade wooden mask (Hahoetal). Originating from Andong, these Korean masks are carved from wood and have a long history in Korean culture.

K-Pop & K-Drama Products

If you have a friend or family member who is a huge fan of K-Pop or K-Drama, Korean entertainment related products will be a very meaningful gift. There are many stores around Seoul where you can find all kinds of K-Pop related goods such as posters, paintings, signed stills, T-shirts and more.