Paper Muse

Art and culture magazines, especially ones not written in Korean, can be difficult to find in Seoul. Ordering them online from overseas means having to pay large shipping fees and if you're really a zine-addict, it’s nice to be able to touch them and see the cover in person before making a purchase. Owner Won Sung-kyung has loved magazines since she was young and quit her job to start Paper Muse three years ago. “To be honest, I wanted to open it in Hongdae at first but it was too expensive. Since the Steve J & Yoni P Showroom is here, I figured a lot of fashion lovers and fashion magazine lovers would be around here, too.” A neat display of foreign magazines like Vogue, The Gentlewoman, Dapper, Kinfolk, Cereal and Monocle will greet your eyes when you eneter and though the prices may be hefty (it’s difficult to find an issue under 30,000 won)—we say you should treat yourself to such rarities as the year comes to a close.