Although the name 'black market' resonates with the sound of illegal, you'll often hear expats use the word to describe stores and markets that sell imported western goods and products that are not easy to find anywhere else in Korea. Staples like real Doritos, deodorants, Kraft Dinner, you name it. Some stores buy through importers and some get it bootlegged off of the bases, in hopes for a better deal.
If you're looking for western foods, then your first best bet would be to go to the nearest Costco.
Barring that, then the most common areas to find black market vendors are around military bases or Itaewon.
The following are the most famous ones among expats.
[edit] Itaewon area
[edit] Red Door
Outside of Red Door, which is the entrance on the left.
Red Door is the name that expats have given the little store in Itaewon with no name. Just a glass door with red trim. Best way to find this place is to come out of Coffee Bean and follow left around the side and walk down that side of the street for about 2-3 minutes. You'll find the red door on the left side.
The red door has the best (and only, for that matter) selection of veggie meats of all the black markets.
Its about 200 steps from Burger King for the average person. Things range from Twizzlers 3000 won to 5000 won for Pop Tarts - expect a 100-300% markup. There are also real Doritos, baked beans, soup, soup mixes, chips, root beer, granola, Quaker Oats, muffin and cake mixes, American toiletries, cookies, and condiments. All prices are marked in pen.
[edit] Hannam Supermarket
Hannam Market has loads of imported, western products. You'll be hard-pressed to find a better place in Korea. Take the subway to Hangangjin Station, come out of exit #2, keep walking until you come to the intersection and cross the pedestrian bridge. Go right after the bridge, until you see the Volvo building ahead on your left. You should then see the stairs on your left going down to the market. They also have a site with map.
[edit] Haddon House
Haddon House is another popular place among expats. Notably for the fact that you can buy turkeys there for christmas or thanksgiving. Getting there the first time is a little tricky. Up the hill past the UN Village in the basement of Hannam Heights Apartments. Here is a rough map with phone number.
[edit] Home Mart
In the basement of the strip mall at Chungwa Apartments in Itaewon is another supermarket named Home Mart that has some import goods and a good selection of wines. To get here, come out of Exit#4 of Itaewon Station and proceed down that side of the street past Geckos. Walk straight past all the antique stores and cross the T-intersection and you'll see the ChungWha apartments on the right. Take a right into the parking lot and you'll see the strip mall with Home Mart in the basement.
[edit] Foreign Food Mart
Foreign Food Mart is a discount shop which has a wide variety of foreign foods and international calling cards. Cheap calling cards can be purchased for 12,000 won for approximately 350 minutes to many places around the world including Canada.
The food items are mostly from India and America. Here you can buy Indian style rices, curry, pita bread, and other products from many countries in Eastern Asia. American products range from cheese whiz, to Apple Jacks, and various steak sauces. As well, there are some Indian approximations of Western staples such as Macaroni and Cheese. There is also a small assortment of European chocolates.
Directions: To find the store, walk down the main street on Itaewon and turn right at the fire station. Keep walking past the King Club and on your left you will find Foreign Food Mart.
TEL: (02) 793-0082 FAX: (02) 793-0086 EMAIL: foreignfood_mart@yahoo.com
[edit] Jell Deli
Jell Deli is an import vendor where you can get many things, but they are famous for their wine and cheese selection. However, rumor has it that they've discontinued carrying cheeses and are now only focusing on wines. Nearby Grand Hyatt Hotel. Take a local bus #5 from opposite side of Noksapyeong Station. Across
the street from the entrance to the Hyatt parking lot, turn right and go to the first corner. Turn left and go downhill. The Jell deli is on the right just before a flower shop, and the entrance to the deli is by the parking lot. 02-797-6846.
[edit] Little Manila
Little Manila is a big Filipino market located in Hyehwa-dong that carries imports from the Philippines. Often you can find imported goods that you can't easily find in Korea. From Exit 1 of Hyehwa Station, head north and you'll find the rotary.
[edit] Namdaemun
Namdaemun Market has about 4-5 import markets with western goods. Notable goods include cheap weightlifting and health supplement products. There's a large underground import market underneath the info centre. So if you can find where that booth is, look for stairs. There are several different stairwells in the area that go to this import market. An easy to find import vendor can be found, if you enter the market from Gate 1, which would be the gate right by Namdaemun Gate, itself. Walk straight into the market and you'll eventually see 2-3 vendors on the right side. Also, if you enter Gate 1 and enter the underground entrance to the building on your right, this is another import market, where you can find western goods and health supplements. Be cautious about buying perishable goods since there is little refrigeration there. Meats and cheeses are frozen and allowed to thaw as the day progresses.
[edit] Seamen's Club
Seamen's Club near Busan Station has a gift shop that carries some imported goods.
Daegu has two areas that are good for black market shopping.
You can find multiple vendors in the downtown Gyodong Market, which its adjacency to Daegu Station, make it the most accessible.
There is a great black market vendor at this market, which is within a few minutes drive from Camp Walker where he likely get his goods from. This is arguably the best and most well-stocked vendor in Daegu, for the fact that he carries most of the same stuff as the Gyodong vendors, but also gets real Doritos, western baked goods, plus has a freezer with American burgers, bacon, etc....His store is the 3rd store on the right, when walking into Bongdeok Market.
[edit] Garden Hotel Market
There is no known name for this small market, but its adjacency to Garden Hotel gives it this name. If walking out of Garden Hotel across the street and heading south, take your 2nd left. Walk about 1 minute and start looking down the narrow corridors to your left. You'll eventually see a small market inside. Go in here and look in the first window on your right. You should be able to see this store that carries western pop, candies, aftershave, lotions, etc...Not a great selection compared to the nearby Bongdeok vendor, however, they do sometimes have surprises, such as large jars of Vlasic Dill Pickles.
[edit] Songtan
Songtan is the town just outside of Osan Air Base. If you walk away from the main gate of the base, you'll see a long stretch of stores, bars, and restaurants that cater to US military. About halfway down, turn right and walk in the backstreets and you'll find some hidden vendors. Also, if you are walking away from the main gate and follow the road going right, turn left at the next street and follow until the street starts to incline into an overpass. Underneath the overpass and on the left side are a few import vendors.
