Namdaemun Market optician for introverts: black round glasses

I went to Angyeonggwa Saradeul (안경과사람들) in Namdaemun Market to replace my glasses for the first time in 3 years. I always used to just get them done casually near home, but this time I headed to Namdaemun. It's close to the subway, so it was easy to get to, and the shop takes you through everything from the eye exam to choosing frames without any pressure. Making the glasses takes so little time that you can pick them up the same day, so I'd recommend it if you're short on time too 👓

Angyeonggwa Saradeul location, opening hours and parking

Angyeonggwa Saradeul is at 61 Namdaemunsijang-gil, Unit 101, Jung-gu, Seoul, at the entrance of Namdaemun Market, a 2-minute walk from Hoehyeon Station Exit 7. It's open daily 9:30–20:00, and there's no parking, so I recommend parking at Shinsegae Department Store.

• Location: 61 Namdaemunsijang-gil, Unit 101, Jung-gu, Seoul
• 2 min walk from Hoehyeon Station Exit 7 / 8 min walk from Myeongdong Station Exit 5 / 8 min walk from City Hall Station Exit 8
• Hours: daily 9:30–20:00
• Good to know: high oil price relief subsidy accepted, Naver reservations available (consultation), local currency and Zero Pay accepted
• Parking: not available (Shinsegae Department Store car park recommended)

Shopfront 2 minutes from Hoehyeon Station, at the Namdaemun Market entrance

Here's the outside of Angyeonggwa Saradeul. All three subway stations, Hoehyeon, Myeongdong and City Hall, are about an 8-minute walk away, so access is great! And Hoehyeon Station is just 2 minutes! We came from Hoehyeon Station and got there in 2 minutes. It's at the entrance of Namdaemun Market, so the shop is easy to find!

Shinsegae Department Store is a 5-minute walk away, so if you're driving, I recommend parking there. (You know the tip, right? If you download the Shinsegae app you can get a 2-hour coupon 💫)

What is it like inside Angyeonggwa Saradeul?

Inside there's a waiting area, and mirrors at the front and back, so it's easy to check how you look 🪞 I like an optician of this size! If a shop is too big it feels overwhelming, but Angyeonggwa Saradeul put me at ease 🍀

Imported and Korean frames, budget frames and fashion glasses

The frames at Angyeonggwa Saradeul are split into imported and domestic. It was nice to browse freely without any pressure.

There are also good-value frames and fashion glasses, just so you know. A foreign tourist came in while we were there and seemed interested in the fashion glasses! Namdaemun Market really is the holy land of opticians!

There are tons of sunglasses too. The styles vary: horn-rims, Kim Gu glasses (round wire frames), half-rim frames, matte frames and more!

How does the eye exam at Angyeonggwa Saradeul work?

At Angyeonggwa Saradeul they did the eye exam first, before choosing frames. The testing machines were neat and clean, so it was a pleasant exam, and the staff member was so skilled that it didn't take long, which I liked!

My vision is 0.4 / 0.3 🤓 I'd developed slight astigmatism and my right eye had dropped one step, so I had new lenses made. During the exam they compared my old lenses with the new ones and explained it in detail. It was easy to understand, and I could definitely feel that I saw better!

I chose the basic blue-light blocking lenses. It's the minimum effort I can make to keep my eyes from getting worse..!

Naver receipt review gift event

At Angyeonggwa Saradeul you can get a small gift if you leave a Naver receipt review! We had a lot of stuff with us, so we didn't take part 😉 It's easy to join, so give it a try!

This is the Angyeonggwa Saradeul business card. It has the location, map, phone number, website and so on. Hoehyeon Station Exit 7, 2 minutes on foot. Isn't that really close? 👏🏻

When horn-rims don't suit you: why I chose black round glasses

The frames I finally chose at Angyeonggwa Saradeul are black round glasses. I usually wore silver square glasses, but lately I'd gotten into horn-rims! But when I actually tried them on, it turned out horn-rims just don't suit me..? So after some agonizing I ended up choosing black round glasses!

For introverts, even going to an optician is stressful, but Angyeonggwa Saradeul let me browse comfortably. They recommended frames that fit my face and let me look slowly, so I could focus on choosing 👍🏻

The photo on the right is the horn-rim pair I agonized over until the very end, and it looked good as a starter pair even for someone like me who thinks horn-rims don't suit them. I'd recommend Angyeonggwa Saradeul in Namdaemun Market to horn-rim beginners. I plan to go back soon and bring a horn-rim pair home 😊

Ta-da~~ My pick: the black round glasses 🖤 I chose them after much thought and have no regrets. Compared with my old silver ones, they make my features stand out more, and the sharper look was a nice change of mood 🖤

Back home I watched an OTT streaming show with my new glasses and I could see so well that I was happy 💚

Who is Angyeonggwa Saradeul best for?

Good-value frames plus a comfortable eye exam: isn't that all you need for a perfect optician? I highly recommend Angyeonggwa Saradeul in Namdaemun Market to these people.

• Anyone who wants to try horn-rim glasses for the first time
• Introverts who find going to an optician stressful
• Anyone looking for good-value glasses