Korean Job Discussion Forums

earthbound14 · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Location: seoul

So, this is sort of a pet peeve of mine. Back in the mother land I just head out to the old garage and rummage around for the best tool for the job...if I don't have it, call dad, if he doesn't have it hop in the old truck and head down to the local building shop, ask someone who knows what the hell they are talking about what the best tool for the job would be, buy the tool...then presto job finished.

In Korea - avoid all forms of do-it yourself work cause....I have no idea where to buy tools and don't trust the adjuma at E-mart knows anything about concrete drills or has ever seen a framing hammer. Today it was recomended I buy some light weight drill for over 100,000 with a 120,000 won set of bits...um no, I want a standard hammer drill (80,000) with a small set of concrete bits (20,000)....blank stare.

My wife seems equally unaware and incapable of finding anything out. She just tells me to do it....of course I ask her with what? The only tool I have in Korea is the one in my pants.

So, what the hell do you guys do? Buying tools and getting things done around the house does not seem to be a Korean man's speciality.

bluelake · Joined: 01 Dec 2005

You can try the Korean hardware stores (철물: cheolmul); I can usually find what I'm looking for there.

rocket_scientist · Joined: 23 Nov 2009 Location: Prague

I used to blow plenty of my paychecks at the Dongdeamun tool and hardware market. They have everything. Ask for directions and I'll post them.

Old fat expat · Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 2:47 am Post subject:

Just wanted to be the first to say there are plenty of tools here Very Happy

But I hear ya! Any quality tool is difficult to find. I have some success going to a tool district and roaming around the small dealers. You will have to get a Korean to point you in the tool district direction-all cities have them. E-mart and that ilk have squat

dalem · Joined: 30 Dec 2008

Oooo.... two of these things sounds exactly like what i need. Dongdaemun tool and hardware market and 'tool district'.... sounds about right to me.

Where's the tool district in Seoul? And where is the tool and hardware market in Dongdaemun?? Directions to either would be much appreciated.

rocket_scientist · Joined: 23 Nov 2009 Location: Prague

Sure, Seoul subways to Eujiro Sam-ga. Get out an an exit, walk around for 1 hour. Tools along the river, metal there too. wood at Eujiro Sa Ga.

Good luck.

earthbound14 · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Location: seoul

Well, I just found a Bosch hammer drill at E-mart...80,000 won too. Hmmm, still not the meca of quality tool buying I would like, but better than my first impressions.

Thanks for the tips, I may be off to Dongdaemun to check out the tool collection. It will seem a bit strange going tool shopping by motorcycle though.

Just out of curiousity, are the tools any good? Or are we talkin just enough to get the job done.

Not that it should matter too much, I don't expect to be buildin a home, I just hate buying cheap junk. I can't get the idea out of my head that when you buy a tool, it should last for life...or at least through some very heavy use.

nosmallplans · Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Location: noksapyeong

Gmarket and high-end bike shops.

The nicer bike shops will have access to western-made tools... but they're mostly for bikes - so don't expect to be able to order in angle-grinders but if you need a really high-quality socket or hex-wrench set then they could easily acquire it for you.

jiberish · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Location: The Carribean Bay Wrestler

Anything and everything is on gmarket

nathanrutledge · Joined: 01 May 2008 Location: Marakesh

GURO. Guro Tool Market. When the big gentrification project around Cheongaecheon took off, a bunch of tool dealers got together and moved to Guro. Get off of the subway, go out the west side of the station, across the street, there are two or three square blocks of anything you want from the tiniest washer up to massive lathes and shipbuilding equipment.

Dongdaemun is amateur hour. Wink

Guro is THE place to go.

nosmallplans · Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Location: noksapyeong

Think Guro will have small personal-use forges? I haven't been able to pour any bronze in two years and I'm afraid I'm gonna lose my touch.

nathanrutledge · Joined: 01 May 2008 Location: Marakesh

Captain Obvious · Joined: 23 Oct 2009

At my university. Plenty of the staff here are pretty good tools.

Bollocks · Joined: 12 Feb 2009

Long shot, but does anyone know where to get a random orbital sander on Jeju? I've tried gmarket, but all they've got is the belt kind.

technique · Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Location: Jamsil, Seoul

I too have problems locating quality tools. I spend hours going from tiny hardware store to tiny hardware store in search of a good tool. It does work though. You just have to find the right place.

Also, is this the Guro you all speak of? http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=guro,+south+korea&sll=37.578324,126.716309&sspn=0.70961,1.656189&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Guro-gu,+Seoul,+South+Korea&ll=37.494303,126.889472&spn=0.0222,0.051756&z=15

I've never been there, so I want to make sure we're talking about the same place before I take a 2hr subway ride...