When you are visiting Seoul, there are tons of things to see and do. And one of them, for a lot of visitors, is beauty shopping. There’s an overwhelming number of stores and beauty brands for that and there is a constant influx of more.
To market new launches, brands rely heavily on popup stores, which often come with extra freebies and incentives. But finding them isn’t the easiest thing. So, let me share my tips on where and how to find pop-up stores in Seoul while they are still running.
This post isn’t sponsored nor commissioned but contains affiliate links (marked with an asterisk *). If you buy/book anything after clicking on them, this doesn’t cost you anything extra but gives me a little commission from qualifying purchases to help keep uploading free travel tips for you on to this blog.
What is a Pop-up Store?
Generally, a pop-up store is a temporary shop installed to promote products in a creative and interactive way. Pop-up shops become a huge deal in Seoul during the pandemic and have become a main stay since then.
It’s not always easy to find them, if you’re not actively looking in the right area. But I put together my tips on staying up to date on Seoul pop-ups.
What do Pop-ups Offer?
A pop-up is for introducing new products, such as beauty lines, music releases, TV shows, and exclusive collaborations. Many products will enter the market from there at full price, others will only be available during the duration of that pop-up.
In particular, collaborations will make merch available for purchase that cannot be obtained elsewhere, and are therefore exclusive and coveted.
There are giveaways, freebies and samples up for grabs, too. Plus, you get cute photo backgrounds to take selfies in front of.
Online Sites for Pop up Info
Interpark
The event booking website Global Interpark lists pop-up where you can make reservations. Search for your preferred dates, and see what pops up.
Social Media
The best bet to finding about pop-ups for me has been Instagram. Search for the hashtags #seoulpopup, for example.
There are also accounts that specialize in announcing pop ups, but they are mostly in Korean. With Instagram’s translate function, you can get the deets. Here are some accounts for you to follow:
I find the search function on Instagram not particularly great. So, when I find out about a pop-up and still need more info or better visuals, I head over to Tiktok. Over there, I just search for the pop up name plus “pop up Seoul” and find more videos.
On-site Pop-up Locations
Stores & Brands
If you follow the Korean accounts of local popular brands – and especially those that you are interested in – you can also see announcements there.
A safe bet for regular hotspots is The Hyundai in Yeouido. There are so many stores here, many of which host special events and launches.
Shinsegae is another giant store that stages temporary pop-ups, including many K-Pop album launches and special photo card events.
On top of that, there are also spaces for temporary popups. If you follow the Instagram account, you can stay on top of things – and also learn which floor the events are on, so you don’t have to search so long. The mall is huge.
Olive Young might be the go-to store for Korean beauty product lovers when travelling around Seoul. The franchise seems to be on every corner and the sales and deals are the same across town.
However, if you want to hear of new launches, which come with special discounts and often giveaways and freebies as well, you want to go to local flagship stores, such as in Hongdae and Seongsu.
Seongsu
This area is a haven for shopaholics. It’s a shopping tourist magnet, too, so brands host a lot of their pop-ups in Seoul in Seongsu.
If you walk down the main street, Yeonmujang-gil, you will absolutely stumble upon pop-ups. They change very regularly, too. It might be that two weeks later, the set ups will look entirely differently.
Apgujeong
Apgujeong is a fancy district in Seoul with stylish designer stores and high-street brands. All the shops here seem to be super photogenic, so it’s always a good idea to visit and just enjoy longer shopping strolls for the vibes and aesthetics.
Naturally, hosting pop-up shops in this Seoul district is a no-brainer. You will find plenty here, too.
DDP
Another key pop-up store hotspot in Seoul is the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, shortened to DDP. This multi-facility complex not only hosts art exhibitions and events. But its two spaces B the B as well as the DDP Showroom Look Play Keep constantly stage interactive events with freebies.
In general, the DDP is worth a visit and has so much to offer. You should definitely put it on your must see list for Seoul, if you ask me.
What Makes Pop-ups in Seoul so special?
First off, they are just so addictive. Once you have gone to a couple, you kinda wanna catch them all! Or maybe that’s just me.
But it’s like a treasure hunt.
Ordinarily, pop-ups last between three and 30 days, but usually are gone within 2 weeks. So, you have to stay on top of things to not get all the FOMO and actually miss out.
Also, it’s always nice to get freebies. And particularly those beauty pop-ups might give you actual products that usually cost a pretty penny. This way, you can try them out at home without those samples that dozens of people have put their hands in. And when you end up liking them, you can use the discount codes that are often provided with them.
If you are keeping up with trends – and South Koreans seem to be keen on that – then you will be among the first to hear about new products being launched. That feels exclusive.
Another thing Koreans love are photo opportunities. No wonder you can find photobooths on every corner. Many of these pop-ups come with their own unique set design for you to pose in front. Some even have actual photo booths that you can use for free.
