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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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CGully
Joined: 23 Aug 2005
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 Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 4:23 am Post subject: |
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As I hadn't got a response on this board about PS2 modding, my friend and I just explored until we found what we were looking for. So if anyone else is looking for pirated console games, modded consoles, or modchips for your current console, then head to Najin Arcade (look at the satellite map on the previous page in this thread). There are a series of tunnels that lead down under the main building, but you'll want the middle one that currently has a big green sign above it starting with "개임".
If you ask around down there, you'll very quickly find what you want. My friend got his PS2 modded for 50,000won and a bunch of burned games all for 10,000won each.
- CGully |
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keetrainchild
Joined: 06 May 2008
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 7:33 pm Post subject: Prices are not lower in Korea |
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I don't know who invented the myth that electronics are less expensive in Korea than they are in the U.S.A., but for every item that I've checked, including memory, CPU's, hard drives, pocket pc's.. the prices are far lower on www.newegg.com .
Example: An iPAQ 212 in South Korea costs $560, in any store I asked. In the U.S.A., you can buy it (the 211, which is exactly the same) from the H.P. website for $450, and on Ebay new for $350 to $450.
Back when I wanted an AMD Athlon 64 3200+, it cost $80 online here, not including shipping. When it arrived, it wasn't even in retail packaging, and the heatsink that came with it was obviously used. At the time, it cost $70 new, retail, on www.newegg.com .
Hard drives: I checked a few hard drives, going by the exact model number, comparing them to websites in the U.S.A., mostly Seagate models, and they were about $15 more expensive, even when the I was with a Korean friend and the shopkeeper offered a 'special discount'.
Joysticks: I can buy a good Logitech Wingman online in the U.S.A. for about $25. Here in South Korea, it costs $60, and that's after I talked the shopkeeper down a bit.
Secure Digital and Compact Flash memory cards.. same thing.. $30 for some cheap no-name 2GB model at Yongsan. On www.newegg.com, a 4GB Kingston SDHC card costs $18, plus shipping, and an A-Data 4GB CF card costs $17, plus shipping.
I'm just frustrated because I'm tired of bartering with smiling shopkeepers for reasonable prices, then hearing all over the place that electronics are less expensive here. |
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The Lemon
Joined: 11 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 5:30 am Post subject: |
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You're comparing on-line US prices (Newegg) with Korean retail prices. You should compare like with like.
Some things are cheaper in Korea. Some aren't. It's always been like this.
I checked out your claim. I noticed you mentioned hard drives. I picked one at random:
ST3250820A Seagate 250G 7200rpm
NewEgg price:
65 US Dollar = 67,793.1 South-Korean Won
Korean online price (via omi.co.kr)
52,250 South Korean won
You mentioned memory. OK, 1GB of DDR2 SDRAM:
Newegg: 18.99 US Dollar = 19,806.0 South-Korean Won
Korea, via omi.co.kr: 19,260 South Korean won
That's two totally random picks. Add in the cheaper and quicker Korean domestic shipping - Korean online purchasing is among the cheapest in the world.
Your poor experiences purchasing online in Korea do not reflect the great experiences I had when I lived there, and continue to have even now. I still purchase from Korean online vendors, have the goods sent to my inlaws house and brought back to me by my wife after her visits home. |
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keetrainchild
Joined: 06 May 2008
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| Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 6:17 pm Post subject: |
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You chose an outdated model of hard drive which isn't even SATA. It's ATA100, which is years-old technology, so it's probably not representative of other prices. However, I still looked for it on Google shopping and found it for $58 on Pacificgeek.com .
As far as the memory goes, what brand of memory did you find on the Korean site and Newegg? Was it the same brand, with the same specifications? I doubt it. Also, the exchange rate fluctuates from day to day. Tomorrow, according to those same prices, the memory could be less expensive in the U.S.A. It's not even a dollar difference.
As far as shipping goes, the U.S.A. is a large country, so naturally shipping might take a bit longer. However, based on my experience, the shipping is neither cheaper nor quicker. If I had something shipped to me within my own state, it would take the same amount of time as it would if it were shipped to me from within Korea. The shipping cost, in my experience, is about the same as domestic U.S. shipping.
Now, look at my examples: more recent technology, and more severe price differences. I looked for the iPAQ 212 online in Korea, and it still cost well over $100 more than it did in the U.S.A.
I looked up the ST3250410AS on the Korean site you posted, then searched for it on Google shopping, and the prices were the same.
Then I looked up the Asus P5N-D motherboard, and it cost $150 of newegg.com, whereas the lowest price on www.omi.co.kr is about $180. That's a $30 difference.
The main thing that I'm protesting is that most people I've spoken to seem to be under the impression that electronic items in South Korea are dramatically less expensive, and that is definitely not the case. In reality, they're either more expensive or about the same price. |
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The Lemon
Joined: 11 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 6:05 am Post subject: |
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| keetrainchild wrote: |
The main thing that I'm protesting is that most people I've spoken to seem to be under the impression that electronic items in South Korea are dramatically less expensive, and that is definitely not the case. In reality, they're either more expensive or about the same price. |
Again, it depends on what it is you're buying. PDAs and laptops have always been more in Korea. An HP PDA, made outside Korea? Of course it's going to be more- a lot more.
So were VCRs back in the day, as are (still) most other consumer electronics goods, including digital cameras and camcorders- even domestically produced ones. Read this whole thread and this point is mentioned time and time again, including in the OP. Here's what I wrote in 2003 in the first post of this thread, and it still applies:
| OP wrote: |
| Korea's closed market policies mean that non-computer items like VCRs and CD players are not a good buy anywhere in Korea, even in Yongsan. While Yongsan's prices are the cheapest in the country for these products, you can still do much better at the Wal-Mart in your home country, or in Singapore, or in Kuala Lumpur, or... well, anywhere. Only buy that stuff in Korea if you have to. For those goods, head to Electroland. |
Korea has always excelled in computer components. I've no doubt you can find items that are cheaper elsewhere, but the first two - and only - random products I looked for to test your theory proved you wrong. I wasn't going to sit there all day searching for an example that proved you right. |
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anyangoldboy
Joined: 28 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 6:18 am Post subject: |
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| The Lemon...I thought you were dead??? |
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The Lemon
Joined: 11 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 8:06 am Post subject: |
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I am.
Heaven has DSL, though the ping times do suck. |
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anyangoldboy
Joined: 28 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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| I'd get on to God about that |
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tonyvu
Joined: 30 May 2008
Location: busan - a view of dadaepo beach from my office window
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| Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:57 pm Post subject: Re: Lemon's Guide to Electronics Shopping in Yongsan |
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| The Lemon wrote: |
Lemon's Note: Most stores in Yongsan are closed on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month.
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Questions about Yongsan (how to get there, what it's good for, how to get around) are frequent here. If you're not a regular shopper in Yongsan I hope you find this helpful. If you've any questions feel free to post them in the thread.
What to Buy
Yongsan is one of Asia's largest and most famous electronics districts. It has a reputation throught Korea of being the cheapest place to buy computers and related parts, cameras, VCRs, appliances, and stereos. It rivals (maybe surpasses) Pantip Plaza in Bangkok, Imbi Plaza in Kuala Lumpur, Sim Lim Tower in Singapore, and Akihabara in Tokyo.
It's true that Yongsan's prices for computer stuff are among the lowest you'll find anywhere (including the US, or Bangkok, or Taiwan). It's also true that Yongsan has the cheapest consumer electronics goods in Korea. But Korea's closed market policies mean that non-computer items like VCRs and CD players are not a good buy anywhere in Korea, even in Yongsan. While Yongsan's prices are the cheapest in the country for these products, you can still do much better at the Wal-Mart in your home country, or in Singapore, or in Kuala Lumpur, or... well, anywhere. Only buy that stuff in Korea if you have to. For those goods, head to Electroland.
Computer stuff, on the other hand, is a real bargain. Blank CDs, mice, keyboards, speakers, and computer components (as well as assembled systems) are Yongsan's forte.
~added, March 2004~
Digital cameras have come way down in price in Korea in the last year. In many cases they're now cheaper here than in the US. You'll do better on Korean on-line sites (try comparison sites like www.omi.co.kr that let you search many stores at once) than the real stores. The guys at the real stores claim they can't match the on-line prices because the Internet-based ones "don't charge tax". Whether or not they're telling the truth is besides the point - brush up on your hangul reading and use the online sites, because that's where the best (legal) digital camera deals are.
________________________
Before you go
The better educated you are about the prices, and about what you want, the more success you'll have, and the more fairly you'll be treated (this is the same with buying a car or anything else). Research the prices back home (for North Americans, www.futureshop.ca and www.bestbuy.com are good benchmarks) as well as at on-line places in Korea (www.wawapc.co.kr and www.computerprice.co.kr are two, there are many. Good hangul reading practice here). You should be able to do 5-10 percent better than the online Korean price in Yongsan.
If you're shopping for something made in Japan or the US, don't expect a great deal in Yongsan. It may be duties and Korea's closed market, or it may just be a brand-name premium, but these items are sold here well above the world price. This includes Nikon cameras and Sony CD players. Be open to other brands, either Korean, or Korean/European joint ventures, such as Philips.
How to Get There
Yongsan Station
On the subway, you have two choices. The red #1 line stops at Yongsan station, just two stops down from Seoul Station. Yongsan Station is attached to a shopping center, which used to be a bus terminal, that's similar to Technomart and Electroland in style, though much smaller.
These centers follow the same general layout: the lower floors sell appliances and home entertainment goods, and digital cameras. The higher floors sell computer goods. Give the computer stores a miss - head to Sunin Plaza (details below) for that. Shop in the lower floors for consumer goods, but again, be aware that though these are the cheapest prices in Korea, you're paying more than you would back home.
A further pedestrian overpass directs shoppers towards Electroland. It's a neat place to walk around, or shop for consumer electronics at. The digital camera stores throughout the bottom level aren't bad, but I recommend the guy selling cameras at the back of the CD shop at the north end of the mall. Reasonable price and excellent service.
Shinyongsan Station
On the blue #4 line, this is my prefered way to get to Yongsan. The subway station itself has a few attractions. One is a shop in the station (midway down the hall) that specializes in used laptops and digital cameras. It's a good place to get your laptop serviced if it's out of warranty. Their digicams are a bit too expensive though, considering they're used. Another attraction is an attached office building at the south end of the station (Kukje Building?) which has a good eating area with a Burger King and clean bathrooms (hard to find in Yongsan).
You exit from the north end of the station (follow the signs to "Yongsan Electronics Market"). You'll walk down a street towards a pedestrian tunnel that goes under the main Korea Rail tracks. The tunnel looks like this:
Here you'll walk past shops selling blank CDs. Right now the going rate is 280w for a CD. You'll find better stores on the other side of the tunnel, so hold off.
In the tunnel is Yongsan's most popular illegal software trade. At either end of the tunnel you'll see people staring at posted software lists on the tunnel wall. Behind them is a big guy with a smoke in one hand and a cellphone in the other. Talk to him about your software needs. His English is fair, and he has access to most English software, though his prices are higher than in Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok. I don't know this first-hand, of course.
Sunin (So nin) Plaza
When you emerge from the tunnel, you're at Sunin Plaza. It looks like this:
It's a sprawling rectangle-shaped labyrinth that specializes in computers and computer parts and looks like it needs a good washing. This is Geekmart.
Before you enter, if it's a Saturday (or sometimes, Sundays), walk around to the front of the building. There you'll find an outdoor market. This has really developed in the last couple of years, but you can often find prices just as low inside Sunin.
Near the front entrance, on the inside, is one of the few Yongsan shops that has a posted price list. If you're looking for something in particular, this is a good list to check out, just to give you an idea of what the fair rate is. Sometimes I end up buying stuff at that store anyway, as I like to encourage the one store that's breaking ranks by posting a price list.
Most of the stores in Sunin are pretty much the same, and they sell all-new goods, which is a little frustrating if you're looking for something that you saw there 6 months ago - given the volumes of stuff sold here, it's likely all gone, old news. However, there's a hallway at the back of the building and to the left (when entering from the main doors) that specializes in used computer stuff (as does the hallway directly upstairs). Here the used stuff usually carries price tags. If you need an average sound card or video card, or are putting together a cheaper system for internet and word processing work, this is the place to hit. Sound cards are 3000w, and decent video cards are 5000-25000w. You can also buy cheap used hard drives and mainboards.
Mac Goods
Pickings are poor here for Mac products, but there is a store in Electroland, "Mac Club", that caters to that segment of society.
Bargaining
When bargaining, be polite. Smile a lot. Have a sense of humour. Be sure to thank people in a friendly way when they give you a quote, even if you're going to walk away. Treat everyone well, as it's the decent thing to do, and you may be back someday. They might remember you. You may be back even sooner, if you discover their price is better than anyone else's.
If you agree on a price, you're obligated to buy. Don't try to negotiate further.
Credit Cards
If you try to use a credit card, expect them to want to add on 5% to the negotiated price, or more. Technically, this is illegal, but it's common practice at many Korean stores. If you must use a credit card, tell them that at the beginning of negotiations.
Cash
You can find ATMs in Sunin Plaza (Industrial Bank), Electroland (Kookmin?) and the bus terminal mall (Foreign Exchange Bank) at Yongsan Station. |
Im thinking about buying an HDtv. Are all the brand name tvs in korean or do some have english labels... |
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kerb0bble
Joined: 29 Dec 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 7:15 pm Post subject: proxima ovation lcd projector panel |
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| hey, can anybody tell me if its worth making a trip to yongsan - im looking for a proxima ovation LCD projector panel or soemthing equivalent. thanks! ^^ |
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PEIGUY
Joined: 28 Mar 2004
Location: Omokgyo
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| Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 12:14 am Post subject: |
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| Can anybody give specific directions to the Canon place in Yongsan? I have the building name and know how to get to it but from there i'm totally lost I rem it's a multi level building.. not sure how the hell to find the person to get my camera fixed! |
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laserprinter
Joined: 18 Jun 2008
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 9:07 pm Post subject: |
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| you missed the most important part! SCREENS! HDTV'S! where can you get the cheapest? I haven't found an HDTV for less than $800. |
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RoyBatty
Joined: 19 Jun 2008
Location: NYC
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:33 am Post subject: |
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| Wow, helpful info. This place is in Seoul, right? So overall, would I be better off buying a new external hard drive in the states before I leave, or in Korea after I get there? I need a firewire hard drive. Maybe they won't have anything like that... |
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The Lemon
Joined: 11 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 8:17 am Post subject: |
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| RoyBatty wrote: |
| Wow, helpful info. This place is in Seoul, right? So overall, would I be better off buying a new external hard drive in the states before I leave, or in Korea after I get there? I need a firewire hard drive. Maybe they won't have anything like that... |
This is kinda late but...
I don't think it'd make a big difference price-wise between buying in the US and buying in Korea. Certainly you'll find firewire external HDs in Yongsan or through online services and I'd expect it'll price out about the same, give or take a few percent. One thing about waiting until Korea- it'd give you something to do and an excuse to see Yongsan... |
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red_devil
Joined: 30 Jun 2008
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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Need to buy one of those small cheap microwaves. I was told there wasn't going to be much of a price difference between the one i saw at Emart (like 52K Won for the cheapest one) and the Yongsan. True/False?
Also how do you guys get all that stuff shipped to your place? Costs? |
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