Jongno 3(sam)-ga Jewelry District (종로3가 귀금속 전문상가) - Area information - Korea travel information

Jongno 3(sam)-ga Jewelry District (종로3가 귀금속 전문상가)

Jongno 3(sam)-ga Jewelry District (종로3가 귀금속 전문상가)

1.2Km    2021-06-10

Jongno3-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul-si
+82-2-1330

There is an enormous selection of wholesalers and retail jewelry stores in this district, spread throughout Jongno 3(sam)-ga and 4(sa)-ga. The glittering showcases here are especially popular amongst couples and foreign tourists looking to find fine jewelry at affordable prices. Stores in the jewelry district have a selection of designs that are extraordinarily diverse and prices that are 30 to 40% lower than at other jewelry outlets in Korea.

- A fabulous selection at wholesale prices
The Jongno 3(sam)-ga Jewelry District is located in Jongno, with shops flooding the alleyways all along the main street and stretching for a length of one kilometer. The area holds a total of over 1,000 jewelry stores, some 300 design and manufacturing stores, and 20 licensed evaluators.

The Jongno 3(sam)-ga Jewelry District originated in Yeji-dong of Jongno 4(sa)-ga, then expanded to include Bongik-dong near the Danseongsa Theater at Jongno 3(sam)-ga.
As the district grew, retail jewelry stores both large and small populated both sides of the main street from Jonggak to Jongno 5(oh)-ga.
Most of the stores in Yeji-dong deal in watches and gemstones, giving the area the name Watch Alley. The back alleys of Bongik-dong and Yeji-dong are mostly filled with wholesalers whose clients consist of brokers and jewelers from around the country. Retail sales are possible at these shops, but some of them might hesitate to deal in small quantities.
The larger stores along Jong-ro literally glitter with dozens of flashy showcases presenting a great selection of jewelry and other precious metals. Prices are already discounted to begin with, but you may be able to bargain even further.

Stores in this district are affiliated with setting factories, so if you have a special design in mind, you can probably get it custom ordered. Thus, if you go in with a brand name jewelry brochure, they will most likely be able to make a similar looking item or even customize it to your preferences.
In addition to its grand variety of diamonds, rubies, domestic amethysts, and almost any precious stone you can imagine, gold is also available in 14k, 18k and 24k yellow or white, as well as in platinum. Watches are often discounted at 50-60% off the retail price, and of course this is the very best place to buy fancy wedding jewelry at amazingly low prices.
We suggest, however, that you take your time and look around, because prices, not to mention their inventory, will vary significantly from shop to shop.
As soon as a new brochure is published by an international brand such as Cartier, TIFFANY or BVLGARI, near-identical designs appear in these stores almost immediately.
Furthermore, this area has recently become the home of accessories for famous Korean entertainers. Companies in the district will consult with coordinators, then design and manufacture items, and lend them to stars for them to wear. When entertainers wear this jewelry on television, the coverage serves to promote these designs. Examples of designs that have attracted a lot of attention previously, include Lee Seung-yeon’s earrings, Jeon Ji-hyeon’s necklace, Moon Hee-jun’s necklace, Lee Yeong-ae’s earrings, and much more.

Nowadays, many foreign tourists, especially Japanese tourists, make the trip to the Jongno 3(sam)-ga Jewelry District, as prices here are much cheaper than in their home countries.
The Jewelry District is conveniently located at the center of Seoul’s major palaces and near the downtown areas. Of these, the closest tourist areas include Myeong-dong, downtown Jong-ro, Dongdaemun Market, and Namdaeumun Market.

Asin [Tax Refund Shop] (아신)

1.2Km    2024-04-19

1F, 50-1, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

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Gaeseong Mandu Koong (개성만두 궁)

Gaeseong Mandu Koong (개성만두 궁)

1.2Km    2023-05-24

11-3, Insadong 10-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-733-9240

Gaeseong Mandu Koong has served Gaeseong-style mandu (dumplings) for more than 30 years. The elderly proprietor, who fled south during the Korean War runs this restaurant with the help of her granddaughters. Characterized by its delicate taste, Gaeseong mandu stuffing consists of pork and various vegetables such as cabbage and pumpkin. This restaurant's mandu is so popular that it sometimes gets sold out even before evening. Typical menu includes mandu jeongol (hot pot) and mandu guk (soup). The hot pot is made of various ingredients including mandu, rice cakes, mushrooms, and meat, and serves two to three persons. For several persons, it's recommended to eat bossam (boiled meat slices wrapped in lettuce leaves or kimchi) and Korean-style pancakes.

Sieunjae [Korea Quality] / 시은재 [한국관광 품질인증]

Sieunjae [Korea Quality] / 시은재 [한국관광 품질인증]

1.2Km    2020-12-10

439, Samil-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-10-5355-3029

Located in Gyeongun-dong, Jongno-gu at the very heart of Seoul, Sieunjae is a hanok with a longstanding tradition. It has three guestrooms including the anbang (main room), byeolchae (detached building), and jakeunbang (small room). The anbang is the only room with a living room, where various items of old furniture, including a comfortable sofa, create an antique atmosphere. The communal bathroom and toilets are supplied with toiletries, while the communal kitchen is equipped with cooking equipment and a washing machine. The house can be rented either as individual accommodations or in its entirety. As it is situated in Jongno-gu, at the very heart of Seoul, guests can easily reach many nearby major tourist attractions. Car users are advised to use the public parking lot as the house has no parking spaces. Entering by a small gate, the little flowerbed comes into sight. This old hanok shows traces of repair works on the tiled roof.

Neulmajung (늘마중)

Neulmajung (늘마중)

1.2Km    2024-01-12

11-5 Insadong 10-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Makgeolli is a traditional liquor made from rice or wheat as a main ingredient and with yeast and various other ingredients. Its uniqueness lies in the main ingredient or yeast used, thus a variety of makgeolli made with local specialties can be found throughout Korea. Neulmajung is a pub restaurant that serves 34 types of makgeolli from all over the country, as well as many foods that go well with them. In addition, its soft wooden interior creates a comfortable atmosphere. Its representative dish is haemul pajeon (seafood and green onion pancake), made with plenty of ingredients. They also serve crispy pan-fried gamja jeon (potato pancake)  and memil jeonbyeong (buckwheat crepe), rich in both flavor and taste as it is made with buckwheat from Bongpyeong, Gangwon-do, all of which are a perfect paring to makgeolli.

Yeojingop (여진곱)

Yeojingop (여진곱)

1.2Km    2021-03-19

430, Samil-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-762-5157

A gopchang (intestine) restaurant located near Nakwon Music Mall. The best menu at this restaurant is beef small intestine hot pot/pork small intestine hot pot. This is a Korean cuisine located in Jongno, Seoul.

Seoul Gyeonggyojang House (서울 경교장)

Seoul Gyeonggyojang House (서울 경교장)

1.2Km    2021-09-15

29, Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-735-2038

Gyeonggyojang House, a designated Historic Site, was the location of the provisional government and the place where Baekbeom Kim Koo passed away. Seoul reproduced the historical site, Gyeonggyojang House, to use the area as an educational site. Also, the house exhibits the history of the provisional government in order to see the history more clearly.

Restoration work included the demolition of the interior that was changed when the building was turned into a hospital facility and embassy after Kim Koo passed away in 1949. During the work, the remaining parts were maintained with the utmost care. Reconstructed parts were based on the building's floor plan written in Chosun and Architecture (8th edition in 1938). Visitors can see various contents related to the Korean Provisional Government history through relics, video, and information searching corners.

Tonymoly - Euljiro 3(sam)-ga Station Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (토니모리 을지로3가역점)

1.2Km    2024-06-27

B3-14, 131, Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

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Namsan Library (서울특별시교육청 남산도서관)

Namsan Library (서울특별시교육청 남산도서관)

1.3Km    2021-07-07

109, Sowol-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
+82-2-754-7338

Namsan Library opened as Kyeongseong Prefectural Library in 1922 as a public library in Myeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. The library was moved to the current site in 1964 with a newly built building and its name changed to Namsan Library in 1965. This concrete building was built in 1964 and was designed by architect Lee Haeseong. It was designated as Seoul Future Heritage in 2013, credited for its preservation value.
It is comprised of 19 rooms and educational areas including the Humanity and Social Science Hall, Nature Science Hall, Language and Literature Hall, Electronic Information Room and more. Since opening, the library has collected nearly 500,000 books, 16,000 non-book materials, 700 continuing resources, and other special materials like old books, oriental books (including Japanese books), and more. Namsan Library also operates a reading treatment program unique to this library that began in 2005. The program includes remodeling of reading consultation room, training for people in charge of reading treatment, workshops, programs for individuals and groups. Also, various exhibitions, lectures, shows, cultural classes and other events are available all year long to enhance lifelong education.

Vegetarian Restaurant Osegyehyang (채식요리전문점 오세계향)

1.3Km    2024-03-18

14-5 Insadong 12-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-735-7171

Osegyehyang is a vegetarian restaurant located in Insa-dong. It specializes in vegetarian cuisine, offering a variety of dishes including noodles, traditional Korean dishes, and specialty items. Some of its popular dishes include maesil tangsuchae (vegan deep-fried pork with sweet and sour sauce), pyogobeoseotmari (rolled shiitake mushrooms), vegan yangnyeom chicken (vegan seasoned fried chicken), tteokbokki, jjajangmyeon (black bean sauce noodles), jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup), vegan steak, and bulgui ttukbaegi (vegan bulgogi), all prepared without meat but still delicious.