The world is coming to know South Korea better, and if there are two things that the country indisputably does well, they are fashion, and efficiency. Around the world, South Korean fashion is being emulated by thousands of people who are riding out the Korean wave, from the sparkly-soft makeup to the oversized, French-tucked tops. Admittedly, we’ve also dipped our toes in Korean trends, as it is suited for petite Asian figures after all. But we also figured, if we’re to be in Seoul for a week, we may as well take advantage of all the services and resources that this incredible city has to offer.

One of the best demonstrations of South Korea’s streamlined practicality that you can experience as a tourist is the purchasing of a pair of glasses. Whereas back home this would have required half an hour of eye tests, a full week of waiting, and a $200-300 price tag over a few visits, South Korea can get the whole thing done by the time you’ve finished your afternoon shop. This service isn’t unique to Korea – several countries in Asia can have a pair of prescription glasses ready for you within a day, including Japan and Malaysia – but without a doubt, Korea has it down to a science.

Obviously, purchasing a pair of glasses can be done all over the country, though in Seoul you’ll have a greater chance of finding optometrists who speak English with varying degrees of fluency. MyeongDong (명동), a famous modern shopping district with plenty of luxury to everyday Korean brands, is great for glasses shopping. However, it doesn’t even begin to compare to the nearby NamDaeMun Market (남대문시장), where it seems that every other store sells glasses. Amongst the 10,000 vendors in NamDaeMun, you’ll find dozens of glasses shops boasting their services with huge, light-up glasses frames on their shopfront, often accompanied by signs indicating which languages their staff can speak, too.

In NamDaeMun Market it’s easy to take a stroll through the crowded streets, jumping from store to store and perusing the stock for frames first. All stores will offer similar services for glasses ready in one or two days, if not a couple of hours, so in many cases the challenge is finding frames that you’re into. If you’re looking for a popular shape, you’ll find it easily as the Korean population’s penchant for fashion means it’ll be widely stocked.

Variations in a Pair of Glasses

Generally, stores will have similar pricing options and the length of time it takes to make, but it pays to look around a few stores to find a frame that you like. The frames themselves can range between ₩10,000 to ₩100,000 (US$8.05-80.50), and the lens from around ₩20,000 (US$16.10). There are, of course, plenty of variables which may affect the price.

Material

While we say it’s possible to find a pair of frames for ₩10,000 (~US$8), it’s likely not going to be the most durable or have the best quality. Frames can vary from cheaper plastic to mid-priced wire or more expensive metals. Jos’ round wire frames were ₩29,000 (US$23.30), which is a reasonably mid-priced frame for what you might find in the area.

Shape

While the two of us had similar materials for glasses, Noms had a bit more of a complex hexagonal shaping to her frames, so the price point was ₩42,000 (US$33.80) for the frames alone. That’s not to say that all shops with have variations in price this big for similar materials and sizes, but don’t expect it to be the same price.

Lens Prescription

Of course, a stronger prescription may come with a higher price tag. Both of our eyes aren’t too bad in terms of our short-sightedness, so we ended up paying ₩20,000 (US$16.10) for our lenses on top of the price of the frames. A stronger prescription would still be cheaper than outside of Asia, but those whose prescriptions are ±5.0 or worse, you can expect to pay more for the lens. For those whose prescriptions are ±10.0 or worse, you can expect a longer wait time, too, as they may have to order in materials to accommodate.

Lens Additions

Many lenses nowadays can be coated to have additional features, such as blue light filters, anti-reflection, and water- and fog-proof. These may incur extra fees, though will be small compared to non-Asian countries’ glasses stores. It’s a good consideration to make, as a small extra in price can make for a much more convenient feature.

Shop-to-Shop Variations

Each shop will have a slightly different approach to its service, and it’s not necessarily a good or bad thing. Some may be more hands-on, while others may allow you to browse in your own time. This is where it’s good to have so many options for stores available, because if you feel uncomfortable with the service or dissatisfied with the availability of one store, there’s always the one next door to try.

This was our second time in Korea, and our second time purchasing glasses in NamDaeMun Market. The first time, we wandered around a few stores until we settled on one with a huge storefront along one of the main roads. We were served by an attendant whose English was enough to make good conversation, and as our whole family was in the store, we were mostly left to our own devices until it came to taking eye tests and making payments. If we had questions, or were looking for a different style, he was able to help us, but for the most part we were shopping fairly independently and made requests for additions.

This time, with a better knowledge of Korea, and a much better grasp of researching stores, we made an effort to look up a store we intended to shop from. This was a small gamble, as in the case we weren’t happy with the service we would be left in the situation of wandering the streets, much like our first time. But our decision paid off, and we personally preferred the experience of this time more than the other.

DaeSong Ankyeong (대성안경)

The store we settled on was DaeSong AnKyeong (대성안경). To reach this store, you must first go down a small alley lined with restaurants and glasses stores, then enter a building with a narrow flight of stairs. It’s located on the second floor, and as such isn’t wheelchair accessible, unfortunately. We also learned that the staff spoke predominantly Korean with basic knowledge of Japanese, so visitors who are looking to follow our recommendation should keep this in mind when communicating.

Like many other stores, there are cabinets and shelves lined with an incredible number of glasses, overlapping and crammed together, very unlike the chic, boutique-style feel of glasses displays that we found back home. The assortment was dizzying, but when we gave our attendant a general idea of what kind of frames we were after – the fashionable ones, of course! – he directed us to the far corner of the shop, to a display whose frames were popular for our demographic.

Despite our language barrier, he was meticulous in making suggestions for the frames, taking into consideration the shape of our faces, and the size and width of our heads, to prevent huge frames that would drown us out. Though likely intentional, his reactions were an excellent litmus test for how we looked – donning a couple of pairs received an appreciative, “Ah!”, which narrowed our selection quite quickly. It’s important to take into consideration that Koreans are very particular with their style and fashion, so if you’re looking for a pair, go best with your personal preference, or you may find that you are influenced by what your attendant thinks would be best for you.

The moment we had made our choices, we underwent eye checks, which was completely complimentary, as is the case for many stores. Most of this eye test is done automatically by a machine, which measures the eye’s response to a projected image, taking merely a few seconds. This is where our first experience with glasses-shopping stopped, but in DaeSong AnKyeong, we found them much more thorough – to ensure we had the right prescription, the optometrist overlooking our eye test also ran a couple of the typical tests flicking between 2 lenses, and measured the distance between our pupils. Then, after totalling our prices, taking payment, and giving us our receipts, we were told to come back in 2 hours.

After a visit to NamDaeMun’s famous hoddeok Korean-style pancake stand and a wander around the huge market, we were back in the shop pretty much 2 hours later on the dot. The glasses were ready. They came with cases and a microfiber cloth, and the optometrist even demonstrated their water-repelling properties – a feature the shop threw in for free. Once we tried on the glasses and confirmed the prescriptions were satisfactory, they made some last-minute adjustments to the positions of the nosepads and the curve of the temple arms, and we walked out wearing our new glasses.

It’s stress-free, fast, cheap, and convenient. If you have even only 3 hours in Seoul, it’s a highly recommended experience, with an outcome that leaves you better than when you started.