About Arts and Craft Suppliers in South Korea
In South Korea, office supplies and crafting supplies are often mixed into the same space. That means you can pick up paints and printer paper at the same spot. As of 2021, South Korea does not have large box stores for crafts like Michaels and Hobby Lobby in the US..
Additionally, many specialty craft items -such as fabric or yarn – may be sold in small shops that focus only on that item. What this means is that you may need to visit a variety of different stores in order to find all of your supplies. Expect to spend more time sourcing supplies than you did in your home country.
Cultural Notes Related to Craft Supplies
Just like food, clothing, relationships, and housing supplies – craft activities and craft supplies vary between cultures. You may not find all of the supplies needed for crafts from your culture. Items that you consider foundational supplies may not exist here or might be found under a different name. Also, colors that you are used to finding during certain times of year might not be on the shelves.
Emotionally prepare for 1) your craft search to take time, 2) what you want to be unavailable, and 3) the need to find substitutions. Look at this as part of the adventure of living abroad. Not being able to find what you are comfortable with from home does not make South Korea backward or bad. In other countries, items needed for South Korean crafts such as hanji also do not exist. Instead, these differences are what make the world interesting and unique.
That said, we can help make the processes smoother by providing a solid base of introductory information to begin your arts and crafting supply search.
How to Find Out What Supplies are Carried at an Arts and Crafts Store
If you would like to know if what you need is available at a particular store, you will need to get help by:
- Asking a Korean speaking friend who can call and ask
- Contacting and paying for help from a bi-lingual concierge,
- Search the company website online (website links included in the following information)
- Visiting the location and look for what you need.
Shops Carrying Art and Crafting Supplies in South Korea
Here is a breakdown of the places to start your search for supplies related to your project.
Alpha
Types of crafting supplies: Painting, drawing, cutting mats, felt, beads, card stock, modeling clay, decorative paper, vinyl, and more.
Alpha is an office supply/arts and craft brand that can be found across South Korea. Such stores come in many different sizes and will carry different types of supplies based on their location. Locations near Universities and schools will often care more about art supplies and small locations in neighborhoods may focus more on art supplies.
Thankfully, Alpha has an English website where you can learn more about what products might be offered in their shops. If you know Korean or have assistance in Korea, you can also order Alpha products online through their website.
Dream Depot
Types of supplies: Painting, drawing, felt, modeling clay, glitter, pom poms, card stock, vinyl, decorative paper, and more.
Dream Depot is another office supply/arts and craft brand that can be found across South Korea. They also come in many different sizes and will carry different types of supplies based on their location. Once again, locations near Universities and schools will often care more about art supplies and small locations in neighborhoods may focus more on art supplies.
However, Dream Depot does not currently have a website with English information about many of its products. Instead, you will need to browse the Korean website. If you speak Korean or have assistance, you can order your supplies online.
Daiso and Art Box
Daiso’s and Art Box are popular brands across South Korea that do not focus on art supplies but may carry some art supplies. These locations are hit and miss depending on the neighborhood and size of the store.
Diaso tends to have a small crafting section with things like yarn (very small selection) knitting needles, crochet needles, embroidery kits, and basic sewing supplies. They also carry art supplies like paints, crayons, and canvas.
Art Box is a good place to find pens (including for calligraphy), kits for felting, and paint brushes.
Stationery Stores
Korea is covered in small stationery stores that carry things for young people’s everyday lives like gloves, umbrellas, socks, phone cases, hair accessories, and sometimes ART SUPPLIES! It is worth stopping by your local Stationary Store to see what art supplies they may have. Usually, they carry such times as paints, paper, pencils, pens, etc.
Online Ordering Options
You can also order your supplies online through Amazon, Coupang, Auction, or Gmarket. Amazon recently partnered with a Korean company to expand distribution in South Korea and both Coupang and Gmarket are Korean companies similar to Amazon with nice English interfaces. Auction, another Korean company, is a bit less English-friendly.
Specialty Stores
You can also find specialty stores for things like sewing, knitting, baking, cooking, woodworking, etc. To learn more about where to find these kinds of products, check out our post on locating specialty crafting supplies in the Pyeongtaek area.
For military members: Camp Humphreys Arts and Crafts Center
For those with base access the Arts and Crafts Center at Camp Humphreys can be a good place to find the arts and crafting supplies you are familiar with from home. Not only do they offer a wood working shop (that sells wood), sewing center, 3D printing, and classes, there is also a small store that sells painting supplies, arts and crafts, kits, some quilting fabric, and resin supplies.
Alpha Locations Near Pyeongtaek
This may include locations in Pyeongtaek, Anseong, Osan, Asan, and Cheonan. These are all areas surrounding Pyeongtaek which may be easily accessible by Pyeongtaek residents.
Alpha Anjung
031-684-9274
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
경기 평택시 안중읍 안현로 424
A medium large Alpha with plenty of parking.
Alpha Songtan
031-611-0862
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
경기 평택시 돌우물길 38-18
Medium sized Alpha in an industrial area. Parking out front.
Alpha Seojeong
031-664-0865
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
경기 평택시 관광특구로 37
A small, pocket size Alpha perfect for office supplies and getting copies of papers made. Not a lot of art supplies but some. Across from the non-drive thru Starbucks.
Alpha Poseung
031-682-2002
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
경기 평택시 포승읍 풀무골1길 4
Huge Alpha with lots of parking and toms of selection. We recommend coping the address and using it in Naver or Kakao Maps.
Dream Depot Locations Near Pyeongtaek
This may include locations in Pyeongtaek, Anseong, Osan, Asan, and Cheonan. These are all areas surrounding Pyeongtaek which may be easily accessible by Pyeongtaek residents.
Dream Depot Paengseong
031-654-2110
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
경기도 평택시 팽성읍 부용로56번길 29
A small branch of a popular stationary and art supply store. They also carry some toys.
Dream Depot Dunpo
041-531-5018
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
충청남도 아산시 둔포면 둔포중앙로 106
A branch of a popular stationary and art supply store in Dunpo. They also carry toys, board games, some decor and home goods. This one is small and very packed. You will be squished but they may have what you need so dig in.
Dream Depot - Osan
031-378-6155
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
경기 오산시 성호대로 129
This Dream Depot has a little bit of everything! Hobby, crafting, and art supplies - school supplies - computer equipment - home office supplies. A little bit of this and that.
Dream Depot - Cheonan
041-577-2190
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
충남 천안시 동남구 새말1길 57-5
This enormous Dream Depot has three floors of art/crafting/hobby/office supplies! Parking is behind the building or down the ramp into the nearby parking garage.
This Blog Updated as New Places Added
This blog post will be updated as community members add new locations to the South of Seoul app.
Founded in 2015, the South of Seoul team consists of volunteers on three continents working together to support English-speaking people traveling or living in South Korea. South of Seoul volunteers work with organizations and individuals across South Korea to improve equitable access to information across South Korea. Much of South of Seoul’s information focuses on Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
Blogs published under the authorship of “South of Seoul” include blogs compiled by multiple volunteers to improve access to standardized information unrelated to individualized personal experiences.
