Start near City Hall in Myeongdong , a downtown area close to some of the city's best sites and shopping (located on and around Myeong-donggil) and all within a walkable distance.
Shinsegae department store is a city favorite in Myeongdong, but those after a bit of South Korean kitsch or quirk should be happy browsing around the boutiques off Myeongdong-gil and Myeongdong Jungang.
Stores in shopping districts like Myeongdong have added Chinese-speaking staff, their headquarters are using Korean celebrities popular across China and Southeast Asia in advertisements, and glitzy duty-free stores are dropping European luxury brands to give more space to Korean cosmetics chains that are less expensive but more popular in the Asian region.