Hey! Taesung here.
I’m writing this today because my heart aches for you all. When I ran my guesthouse in Venice, I’d see what my foreign guests brought back from their trips to Korea… and yeah, I’d say, “Oh, that’s cute,” but inside I was crying tears of blood. Because they were all ‘trap items’ for tourists.
So today, I’m going to teach you how to buy the real deal, not the fakes. But first, a quick travel tip. If a total stranger approaches you on the street in Korea asking, “Where are you from? You’re handsome,” they are 100% a scammer. It’s a classic scam where they talk about your ancestors and try to get you to pay for a ritual. Just ignore them and walk away.
Alright, let’s begin.
1. The Metal Sujeo Set with Turtle Engravings
If you bought this as a decoration for your bookshelf, I approve. But if you bought it for actual use, throw it away. No Korean uses this. It weighs as much as a dumbbell. Are you trying to work out while you eat? Unless you are, don’t buy it. If you want an authentic K-table vibe, there are lots of a lot of cute , lovely .. i don’t know do you have any word in your mind? yeah lots of that chopsticks are exist.
2. Red Ginseng Candy & Jelly
If you eat this and then talk to people, they will think, “What the hell did this person eat in Korea?” We don’t eat this stuff. Candy is supposed to be sweet! This is just a tasteless sugar lump. If you want real K-energy, buy the Red Ginseng Sticks. There’s no comparison.
3. The $1 Street-Stall Character Socks
K-character socks are cute, I get it. But the $1 pairs they sell on the street? They’re basically ‘disposable’. They’ll get a hole after one wash. Please don’t fall for the $1 price tag. Go to a store like ARTBOX or Daiso. For $3, you can get much higher quality, cuter socks. Don’t trust the street vendors; they are targeting you.
4. “Traditional” Souvenirs on Insadong Street (Fans, Hahoe Masks, etc.)
The 400€ Venetian mask you bought is a ‘work of art.’ The $5 wooden Hahoe mask from a street stall in Insadong is a ‘mass-produced product.’ Hanging this in your room won’t turn it into ‘Hip Seoul’; it’ll turn it into the ‘National Folk Museum Gift Shop Corner.’ If you want real Korean beauty, go to the National Museum of Korea’s gift shop. Their goods are 100 times more stylish.
5. The ‘I SEOUL U’ T-Shirt
Yeah, I know you’re a tourist. But you don’t need to advertise “I AM A SUCKER TOURIST,” do you? lol. I have never, not once, seen a single person wearing this in Korea. If you really want to ‘wear’ Seoul, buy a ‘Seoul Edition’ from a brand like Nike, or find a t-shirt with a hip Hangeul design. That’s true ‘K-Swag.’
So, what do you think? A bit harsh? lol. But this is the kind of advice a real local friend gives you. Now that you’ve read this, you’re fully qualified to be a ‘pro’ traveler, not a ‘sucker’ tourist.
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