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Seoul's Malls and Department Stores: A Quick Guide

Seoul's malls range from underground cities to design landmarks — here's which ones are worth your time versus which serve a narrower purpose.

🕓 5 min read 🔄 Updated August 2026

COEX Mall (Gangnam)

One of the largest underground malls in Asia, connected directly to a subway station and anchored by the Starfield Library, an enormous multi-story public library that's become a photo landmark in its own right. Worth visiting even if you're not planning to shop heavily.

Lotte World Mall & Lotte Department Store

Lotte operates flagship department stores and malls across the city, with the largest cluster near Jamsil (also home to Lotte World theme park and Lotte World Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world). Reliable for a wide range of both Korean and international brands under one roof.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza area malls

Multiple large fashion-focused malls cluster around Dongdaemun, some operating into the early morning hours — see our markets guide for more on this area specifically.

Department stores for a more curated visit

Shinsegae and Hyundai department stores lean more upscale and curated than the mall-scale options above, with strong food halls in their basement levels that are worth a visit on their own for a one-stop tasting of Korean and international food.

Tip: Basement food halls (called sikdang-ga in some stores) in Korean department stores are consistently excellent and underrated — a good lower-commitment way to sample a wide range of food in one stop.
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