Seoul fashions: your guide to shopping, from Gangnam style to hip boutiques
Global brands and mega-malls sit alongside tiny, hip boutiques in South Korea's shopping paradise, writes Jennifer Cox
South Korea may be an economic superpower and a leading exporter of hi-tech goods, but in the heart of Seoul, there's nothing its sophisticates enjoy more than shopping.
The main districts that will hold a shopper's interest are spread along the Han River, which runs east to west, dividing the city in two. Although the Han is spanned by 27 bridges, there are only two major roads through the city, making driving grindingly slow. Happily, the subway is efficient, with fares from just 150 won (HK$1.10).
The designer brands tend to thrive in the upmarket shopping district of Gangnam, on the south side. Meanwhile, to the north, Itaewon is considered the home to tailored fashions, women love the couture wedding gowns in Sinchon, and Insadong's tiny boutiques are crammed with exquisite crafts.
At the district's epicentre is Apgujeong, a neighbourhood that has commonly been styled as the Beverly Hills of the South Korean capital. The big draws for tourists from across Asia that flood the area are world-class shopping and plastic surgeons.