Korean Job Discussion Forums

[aphasia83]

Hello again!

I'll be coming to Seoul for the first time, in a couple of weeks, and my iPod has just broken so I'd love to replace it with a new Nano.

Is there a place in Seoul where electronics are a bit cheaper than normal?

[sarbonn]

I'm not sure it's the cheapest, but they do sell them at Costco. I look at them almost every time I'm there. I ended up buying an Ipod touch instead.

[aphasia83]

I've noticed them at Costco, but I don't plan to be near one while I'm in Seoul. Are there other places?

[oskinny1]

From what I have seen, most prices are pretty much set by Apple, just try to avoid buying anything from the Emart type places, they seem to jack up their prices quite a bit.

Try the Apple website, maybe you can get a refurbished one on there.

[Ukon]

Used from other expats...check used sites like seoul craigslist and the buy sell forum here.

[ppcg4]

If you're into any kind of tech, you'll learn about the Yongsan electronics market, attached right to the station. It's really my own form of Mecca.

I'd look around there and compare prices between resellers. I don't know how flexible they are with bargaining there, but you might be able to talk them down. Coming from a tiny town, I had never done that before. I've been here for 4 months now (wow) and I've carefully honed my skills.

Just look dissatisfied and tell them it's much more than you're willing to pay. Offer them something ridiculously low, and they'll usually meet you mid-way between your really low price and their asking price.

I've never tried it with an iPod, but hey you never know. Which area of Seoul will you be in?

[sarbonn]

Yongsan, as mentioned is a great mecca of electronic goods. There's an almost identical one at Gangbyeon Station (it's connected to the station itself...just go into the basement and you're in another Yongsan looking shopping mall). I was there the other day to buy a monitor (I was sick and tired of using my laptop screen and bought a 22 inch flat screen, LCD monitor for 200k...yeah, a bit much, but I wasn't feeling well and didn't really want to haggle with anyone that day).

The selection is unbelievable in these two places (Yongsan and Gangbyeon). Costco is also pretty easy to get to if you're on the subway system. I go to the one further out at Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station rather than the one in Yangjae because it's only a few blocks away from the station, whereas with Yangjae, you have to go pretty far from the station to get there. I've come to really like Costco since I've been here, even though I still wish they had more western choices in the frozen food section (less junk like food and more actual food).