The best things to do in Seoul
The mind-boggling options, combined with affordability and ease of access, have cemented Seoul’s reputation as the global epicenter of beauty and wellness. While Rejuran (salmon sperm injections) is the most buzzed-about treatment, it requires several hundred injections in the face. If you want to try a viral trend that’s far more comfortable and less invasive, consider scalp treatments. Like facials for your head, these sessions involve 15-plus steps (cleansing, exfoliation, LED light therapy), and deeply rejuvenate your scalp and hair—making them suitable for everyone. Some of the best places to try them out include Lee Moon Won Clinic, MyeongDong’s outpost of Parkjun Beauty Lab (ask for Daniel), and EcoJardin.
In the past decade or so, the Western art world shifted its gaze towards Seoul, resulting in Frieze’s first art fair in Asia and international outposts of König Galerie and Pace. However, it’s important to recognize establishments like Leeum Museum of Art, PKM Gallery, and Kukje Gallery, which have championed their home country from the start. Also worth seeing is Futura Seoul. Opened last year, this boxy concrete structure tucked away in historic Bukchon presents progressive, boundary-pushing exhibitions from creatives like Refik Anadol. For a one-of-a-kind art piece you can take home, visit Hyung Jun Kim and Seo Seok Man’s ceramics studio in Gyeonggi-do, where they sell their quirky pieces depicting Dogabi (Korean goblins) and Naldak (chickens) and offer ceramic-making classes, too.
Seoul is a bona fide shopping mecca, and department stores—which double as social hubs, give you a glimpse into how everyday life in Seoul can look—take the crown with their convenience and sheer variety. (Ground and upper floors are dedicated to different departments and brands, while basements house food halls and sell groceries.) Myeongdong’s Shinsegae Department Store has been a beloved city institution since 1930 and is considered by many as the most glamorous—it unveiled The Reserve, a new cultural and shopping annex in a historic bank building, earlier this year—while Yeouido’s The Hyundai is a gleaming white architectural masterpiece showcasing a smart mix of established and up-and-coming brands—many of them Korean—to attract a younger, more fashion-focused clientele.
For boutique retail therapy, options abound. Ji Yeon Jung’s Recto is renowned for its refined and androgynous takes on wardrobe essentials (think: leather bombers, blazers, denim), and the brand’s new flagship in Hannam-dong—which is accented with Woorim Kang’s sculptural wood furnishings—provides a fittingly stylish setting to shop, while Korean fashion brand Ader Error’s Seongsu flagship sells its edgy streetwear in a futuristic, gallery-like setting. There’s also a cool crop of independent beauty boutiques worth scoping out, including home fragrance brand Soohyang’s new outpost in Apgujeong, Seongsu’s perfume shop Written on Water, and Whipped House (also in Seongsu), where you can make your own vegan face cleanser.
