10 Most Stunning Bookstores in Seoul

Seoul is a bastion of literary culture and book cafés, brimming with some of the most visually stunning and expansive bookstores you can imagine.

Kyobo Book Centre Gwanghwamun

Welcome to the flagship store of Kyobo Book Centre, Korea’s biggest bookstore chain, seated right next to Gwanghwamun Square on the basement floor of Kyobo Life Insurance Building. This shop is also massive, spanning 9,000 square meters underground, with numerous entrances popping up along the nearby streets.

Its collection is equally impressive, holding 2.3 million (million!) volumes in Korean and several foreign languages, including English. There’s also a Starbucks inside for visitors hoping to rest up after strolling through this enormous store.

Sehwa’s English Bookstore

The minimalist serif font of Sehwa’s English Bookstore’s storefront name is a subtle hint of the simple, elegant charm hidden within. Located near Gireum Station, this shop possesses a clear, peaceful interior with a few houseplants that add a homey touch to the store.

It specializes in new and used English books, including fiction, nonfiction, illustrated books, and some novels translated from Korean. Visitors say the owner is a kind and friendly woman, welcoming to all who drop by.

Seoul Book Repository (Seoul Chaekbogo)

Also known as Seoul Chaekbogo, the Seoul Book Repository is not your traditional bookshop. It functions more like a mall specifically for books, housing over 200,000 volumes sourced from various independent used bookstores across the city. Though not divided into individual shopfronts, each has its own unique section inside the Repository where it can show off its unique flair.

Aside from the wealth of variety, a lot of the Repository’s buzz centers around its arched tunnel bookshelves, which are truly Instagram-worthy. Most of the selection is in Korean, but there are some foreign titles scattered throughout, including in English.

Arc N Book

Arc N Book is another popular bookstore in Seoul. Like the Repository, the Lotte World Mall branch has its own “book tunnel,” but don’t think for a second it’s a boring copycat. The neon lighting and slightly off-center setup put a creative spin on the concept of books opening up doorways into new worlds.

Amidst the innovative interior, you can find a cafe and quiet reading spaces, making it a perfect spot to relax or explore. Arc N Book also sells mostly Korean titles alongside stationery and other goods.

Itaewon Books

Itaewon Books, formerly known as Itaewon Foreign Bookstore, is the oldest English-only secondhand bookstore in Seoul, first established over 50 years ago. The store is packed to the rafters with books of every sort you can think of—classics, nonfiction, fantasy, history, and so much more.

There’s no clean-cut organizations or big signs pointing out what goes where, making it perfect for a treasure hunt-type of experience.

Youngpoong Bookstore Jongno Main Branch

Here’s another enormous bookstore for you. Measuring 10,600 square meters across two basement floors, Youngpoong’s main branch offers over 350,000 Korean and international books and includes facilities like a customer service center, digital search programs, and spaces for book signings and events.

Quick note: the B1 floor is the go-to for books, while the B2 floor features a “Stylish Gift Mall” with stationery, electronics, gifts, and brand-name shops as well. It’s still technically part of the bookstore, though, so if it helps keep a vibrant literary space running, why not?

Hanyang Bookstore & Café

For a book café with a sleek, modern design, Hanyang Bookstore & Café makes a daring statement. Located on the B2 floor of Noon Square in Myeongdong, it offers a chic and (quite literally) underground sort of vibe. Most of the books are in Korean, but there’s a small English section (mainly translated Korean works) and an assortment of cute accessories and other goods that are worth browsing.

The café also serves up some top-notch drinks. It is highly rated for its ambiance and is a popular spot for book lovers (or pretty much anyone, really) visiting Myeongdong.

THANKS BOOKS

Ever wanted a bookstore, café, and gallery, all in one? That’s THANKS BOOKS in a nutshell. The gallery and event space is upstairs and often plays host to various seminars. The ground floor, meanwhile, has a wide selection of Korean books and magazines, particularly on topics of design and art.

One of the most notable highlights of THANKS BOOKS is that the staff attaches notes to each book to give visitors an insight into the book’s content and themes. It’s a nice, thoughtful touch that makes this shop stand out as more than just your average bookseller.

Aladin Used Bookstore Gangnam

Aladin is a large chain of secondhand bookstores in Korea, and it’s the go-to for many bibliophiles hoping not to break the bank to feed their reading addiction. It offers a variety of used books—mostly Korean, but a decent number of English ones as well. You can also find stationary and CDs.

This chain has a ton of branches in Seoul, but its Gangnam location is notable for its unique storefront design, relaxed atmosphere, and broad collection.

Daeo Bookstore

This is the oldest bookstore in Seoul and stands out for being one of the few that hasn’t switched out its traditional hanok architecture for a more modern design. Instead, it has been preserved as a secondhand bookstore with a small café with a nostalgic charm. The book selection is Korean-only, but there are also special bookmarks and postcards for sale.

Daeo has gained fame as a filming location and for visits by celebrities like IU and BTS’s RM. Visitors need to buy at least one drink per person, which goes towards helping to preserve the historic building and keep the store in operation.