Welcome to Shopping in Korea!!
Shopping in Korea can be the best or the worst thing that you have ever done in your life. There are many ways to approach shopping....you can go to the open market, the department stores, small stores, or try your hand at the little stands along the road. Each of these have their good and bad points.
Before you start the shopping experience you need money!! Money is an interesting topic. You can go shopping and spend lots of money, or just a little, but if you are in for a big day....plan on spending about 100,000 won. This is a good amount of money to spend, and you can usually get a lot for that amount.
Next you must get yourself together to leave. It is very helpful to be dress according to the weather, and to wear comfortable shoes. It is very difficult at times to find what you want right away, so you must walk everywhere, and usually outside! I would also suggest taking a backpack with you. Backpacks come in very handy, and they keep your hands free to get through the large number of people you will encounter. Pickpockets are not that common here...but it is always wise to keep your money close to you, especially in the crowded markets.
Finally...let's go shopping!! The department stores are a good place to start. If you happen to be living in Ulsan, you can go to Hyundai, and soon Lotte department store. If you are in Pusan, then the best is Lotte (the Las Vegas of Korea!) Department stores can be a very interesting experience. They are usually many floors (kinda like an upright mall!) The basement is usually devoted to supermarket food (good place to get international foods), and an eating pavilion. The rest of the floors are like a typical department store. The items are nice, but usually much more expensive than you can find on the street. I tend to stay out of department stores, they are expensive, you can't bargain, the people are breathing down your neck, and you tend to really stand out in the crowd.
The open market is a lot of fun, and my favorite place to shop. The vendors tend to know a little english, and the prices can be very cheap. The variety is very low though. Most vendors seem to have just about the same stuff. There are clothing, food, shoes, and traditional gift stalls. The people are still pushy, but it can be a great experience. I would advise finding a Korean to go with you (it helps with bargaining), or try learning some basic Korean (this can get you farther...the vendors appreciate it more). If you are in a bigger town like Pusan, the vendors will quote a US dollar price first. It is wise to say "Korean won, please" right from the beginning. This gives the vendors a chance to do the conversions in their heads before you ask the price.
The small stalls along the roads are pretty much the same experience, but less variety. Small shops are ok, but they are really small family owned shops and usually have very little variety. Small shops will sometimes let you bargain, but don't count on it. There are also many specialized stores here. You can go to a Guess store, a Converse store, Addidas store, just about any name brand that you want, but the prices are jacked way up, honestly I wouldn't advise name brand stores.
Some last words on shopping....sizes are a pain!! First of all you need to learn what size you are in the Korean system (for example a 105 is about a large). Many Koreans are very thin, so it is very difficult to find larger sizes, and even if they say "one size", it usually means about a medium against the western system. If you are really having a hard time finding larger sizes, then take a quick trip up to Seoul. Itaewon is located near the US military base, and they have any size and fashion that you may desire.
Shopping here has ruined some women (most men), and made others very happy! Just be safe (watch your wallet), be happy, and don't let them get to you!