I know this post is a bit older, but for anyone wondering, I decided to make this guide to help anyone who is looking.
⭐ If you live in Korea or want to attend our foreigner-friendly meet-up, we have a Facebook group where we coordinate. https://www.facebook.com/groups/680246739688519 We also have a large and active Kakao group, too: https://open.kakao.com/o/g4T9OoUf We’re very active and have a lot of members who can swap, trade, and play!
As for where to actually buy Pokemon cards, I’ll give you the rundown of the best locations in Seoul to look:
1️⃣ The Pokemon Card Shop in I’Park Mall (아이파크몰 용산점) is located in the I’Park Mall on the 8th floor. This is an official Pokemon Card Shop and seems to be the only one in Korea, to my knowledge. It usually doesn’t seem to be crowded and it’s clean. A few people they have on staff can speak English, but I’ve seen several times when the staff did not speak any English. This shop does not sell single cards: The only sell new/packaged Pokemon TCG products. They do sell plushies and other Pokemon stuff, though. It’s also where we usually have our monthly meet-ups!
Address: 서울 용산구 한강대로23길 55 리빙파크 8층
English Address: Living Park 8th Floor, Hangangdae-ro 23-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Website: https://pokemonkorea.co.kr/pokemon_cardshop/menu329
2️⃣ Card Nyang (카드냥) is a smaller shop, but is more focused on Pokemon, so you can sometimes find more Pokemon folks, there. Their staff can usually speak English, if I recall correctly, but not all the time. I’ve had to ask questions on the phone in Korean instead of English, but they’re always kind. They also sell singles! The part of Seoul that they are located is called Gangnam-gu. (Like the song. LOL) It’s near Yeoksam Station.
Address: 서울 강남구 논현로 77길 9 태원빌딩 4층
English Address: 9, Nonhyeon-ro 77-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 4F
Phone Number: 02-568-3778
Website: http://cardnyang.com/
3️⃣ Kindle Shop (킨들샵 in Hangul) is a pretty big place that sells a lot of different kind of cards, including Magic: The Gathering. Their staff is friendly and the staff has very good English skills. They sell “singles,” AKA, you can ask the assistant at the counter to find you a specific card that you need and they’ll sell it to you, individually. However, be warned that they have recently stopped selling newer products as well as carrying newer singles. For this reason, I recommend this place the least, even though I still like it. The part of Seoul that they are located in is called Gwangjin-gu, a few blocks from the Konkuk University Station.
Address: 서울시 광진구 아차산로 197 4층
English Address: 197, Achasa-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 4F
Phone Number: 02-497-7548
Website: http://www.mtgkindleshop.com/kindle/index.php
4️⃣ CollectoTCG (콜렉토티시지) is a foreigner-owned TCG shop that specializes in selling Japanese, Korean, and English Pokemon cards. They also offer grading services, too. I’ll update this blurb whenever I get the chance to visit this shop in-person.
Address: 서울특별시 서대문구 세무서길 84 3층
English Address: 3F, 84, Semuseo-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul
Phone Number: 02-6052-2379
Website: http://collectotcg.com/
Besides these shops, you can sometimes buy single packs at some E-Mart 24’s or 7-Eleven locations. You can also pick up sealed boxes from the larger “big box” retailers, like E-Mart 24, but their selections sometimes vary greatly and sometimes they won’t even have any cards.
For singles, you can check Naver Shopping, which is like Amazon, in a way. However, it will require you to have a Korean address and good enough Korean skills to navigate the pages and search through listings. Prices vary wildly, but you can find very useful staples, older cards, and rare cards on there, as well as sealed product.
Website: https://shopping.naver.com/home
If you want something local, you can always use Karrot Market, “당근” in Korean. It’s a local buying/selling app that is similar to CraigsList that many foreigners are used to. However, you will be dealing with locals, so you should have some Korean skills to converse with them, as well as being able to search for what you need. Prices will vary, but you can sometimes find great deals.
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id1018769995
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.towneers.www
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