Namdaemun Market optician: translucent khaki horn-rims, 007 Optical

Where is 007 Optical in Namdaemun, and is it easy to find?

007 Optical (007안경원) is a Namdaemun glasses shop on the main road across from the Bank of Korea, near the Namdaemun Market entrance where the famous hotteok (sweet filled pancake) seller is. On a sunny Friday, after finishing my plans in Yongsan, I headed to Namdaemun to get glasses made. 007 Optical, where Yoo Se-yoon and Sun Woo Yong-nyeo have both been, was today's destination!

The shop is close to a bus stop and right on the street, so even if you have no sense of direction, you can find it without searching through a confusing arcade. Very convenient to visit.

The sign is huge, so it was easy to spot. Lots of older customers come to Namdaemun, so I think location matters here. I'd heard for a long time that Namdaemun glasses are on the cheaper side, and 007 Optical has had famous celebrities visit and is a big store, so it was full of all kinds of products.

Namdaemun glasses, 007 Optical

Store atmosphere and brands at 007 Optical

007 Optical even carries Blackmonster, one of my favorite value-for-money Korean eyewear brands, so we meet again here~!!

The ceiling is high, so the store looks even bigger and feels open and airy.

You know Sun Woo Yong-nyeo has a YouTube channel, right?! It seems she visited around then.

How much are frames at 007 Optical?

007 Optical marks frames with color stickers to show the price tier. Green is ₩80,000, red is ₩70,000, blue is ₩60,000 and yellow is ₩50,000, so I could pick a frame in my range without asking or feeling awkward.

• Green sticker: ₩80,000
• Red sticker: ₩70,000
• Blue sticker: ₩60,000
• Yellow sticker: ₩50,000

Some frames look like ₩80,000 but are actually ₩50,000, so you can just choose by taste.

Do they have half-rim frames and sunglasses?

There were half-rim frames (하금테) in lots of colors and shapes, and I liked that they had photos of actors to use as a reference.

They also stock plenty of sunglasses, so it's a good place to get a pair for the coming summer. Foreigners apparently find it curious that Koreans don't usually wear sunglasses day to day. Protecting your eyes from UV strain matters too, so even if your eyesight is fine, it's good to wear UV-blocking glasses regularly.

Trying frames on in person at 007 Optical

007 Optical is large even among Namdaemun opticians and has such a variety of frames that I was too busy browsing and got decision paralysis. Then the owner told me not to just look but to try them on, haha, so I fitted lots of them, haha. There's definitely a difference between how frames look on their own and how they suit your face. That's why I recommend trying glasses on in a shop rather than buying online.

Frame designs I tried on

Cat-eye style glasses, which I'm into lately!

• Blue frames with a distinctive color
• Simple, easy round frames
• Sport-goggle style glasses with curved temples — there were shapes I'd never seen before.

There were lots of vintage-style designs I hadn't seen elsewhere, so they'd be great as fashion glasses too.

There were cheap frames too, which seemed fine for picking up a spare pair without pressure.

There was also the oval design that's trendy these days.

My final pick: translucent khaki horn-rimmed frames

Out of the many candidates at 007 Optical, the one that caught my eye was a soft translucent khaki frame~! Black looked too heavy, so I went with khaki. They may all look similar, but finding the lens size, width, height and shape that suit your face is what matters.

High-end brands too, like Fournines and Face a Face

Besides the cheaper frames, 007 Optical also has high-end brands such as Fournines and Face a Face, so you can see them in person.

The kind of glasses you often see on stylish middle-aged men and women!

Eye exams and progressive lenses at 007 Optical

007 Optical does up-to-date eye exams with a German ZEISS refractor, so older customers looking for a Namdaemun optician would do well to come for progressive multifocal lenses. The owners have worked only with glasses for decades and seem to have lots of regulars. Some people come back, and some come regularly.

Also, the owner and his wife dressed amazingly well. He was a total gentleman (Sinsa-style~), and she was like a movie star~! (at least to me~ ^^) While making small talk, we found out they're from my neighborhood, haha. That made it even nicer to meet them, haha.

A nice case and custom nose-pad fitting

They put the glasses in a lovely case, which made them look more luxurious and unique~! It's the fanciest-looking case I've ever had, haha. Even though they're horn-rimmed, the frames had nose pads, and they adjusted the fit to my face, so I'm happy with my new glasses! If you're looking for a friendly Namdaemun glasses shop with lots of designs, I recommend 007 Optical!