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Book Street at the Peace Market

When you hear "Dongdaemun" you may immediately think of the Doosan Tower and the Migliore Fashion Mall, or you may not. Upon close inspection, Dongdaemun is easily one of the most difficult places to categorize in Seoul. New shopping alleys are spawning around the vicinity, alley to street, street to alley. The Cheonggyecheon Peace Market's Secondhand Book Street is one of these hidden jewels. Growing steadily since the 1960s, many collectioners trek from afar in order to search for limited editions and rare books, nostalgic of the smell of ink and the increasingly rare sight of books piled from floor to ceiling, wall to wall.

One Man's Trash is Another's Treasure
Living history seems to seep out of these books that can be found here. Limited editions of Korean masterpieces, hard to find foreign comics and magazines, and even stores specializing in design and home interiors can be found here. Some of the stores are so small and so full of books that you will most likely be shoulder-to-shoulder with other bibliophiles searching for lost treasures. You could easily spend hours just looking at titles here until an entire day has gone by. In general, prices for books cost 30% lower than elsewhere. Of course, price will also depend on the condition and the rarity of the item you are seeking to purchase.