From used cookbooks to Virginia Woolf, Seoul’s independent English bookstores have you covered

Though Seoul might be a large, sprawling metropolis, finding places where readers can buy new and used English books isn’t easy. Aside from obvious bookstore chains like Kyobo or Aladin, where can you find English books to browse and buy?

Itaewon Books, formerly Itaewon Foreign Bookstore, located in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan District, central Seoul [LIM JEONG-WON]

Though Seoul might be a large, sprawling metropolis, finding places where readers can buy new and used English books isn’t easy. Aside from obvious bookstore chains like Kyobo or Aladin, where can you find English books to browse and buy? The Korea JoongAng Daily introduces four independent bookstores across Seoul, where you can meet curated selections of English books, buy used books for a bargain, and perhaps socialize with other literature lovers through opportunities like book clubs and gatherings.

Bookshelves filled with used books line the walls inside Itaewon Books [LIM JEONG-WON]

Itaewon Books in Itaewon-dong, central Seoul @itaewon_books

Itaewon Books, formerly called the Itaewon Foreign Bookstore, is Seoul's oldest English-only secondhand bookstore. It opened in 1973 and is run by Choi Mi-ra, the original owners' daughter.

The store isn’t hard to find, with huge piles of books lining the doorway to the bookstore. Children’s and young adult books fill the entrance but step inside, and you’ll find all genres of titles — from novels to travel books, cookbooks to photography books. Books cover almost every inch of the space. Customers need to ask the owner about the prices of individual books.

“My parents opened Itaewon Foreign Bookstore over 50 years ago above the hill from here,” said Choi to the Korea JoongAng Daily on Feb. 4. “We moved down to this location in 1985. It was a total blue ocean back then. Nobody else was doing a bookstore like this. I think they had an eye for what would become a good business.”

Choi buys used English books from various sources. Maintaining the bookstore has taken a lot of time, energy and labor, she says.

“We almost never take days off and work around the year,” said Choi.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government designated Itaewon Books a Seoul Future Heritage spot, recognizing it as a tangible asset worth passing on to future generations.

Itaewon Books is located at the start of the street leading into Itaewon from Noksapyeong Station on Line 6.

02-793-8249, Noksapyeong Station Opening hours 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Sehwa's English Bookstore, a quaint independent bookstore specializing in English books located in Gireum-dong, Seongbuk District, northern Seoul [LIM JEONG-WON]

Sehwa’s English Bookstore in Gireum-dong, eastern Seoul @sehwa.eb

A small but charming bookstore specializing in English books, Sehwa’s English Bookstore sells both new and used books in the English language. It opened in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and boasts a quaint vibe, along with curated selections of books by the owner, Park Se-hwa.

One wall of the store is dedicated to children’s and picture books, while another is comprised of new books Park imported directly from overseas publishers and curated herself. A lover of classical literature, Park’s curation in February consisted of writers such as Virginia Woolf, Carson McCullers and Patricia Highsmith. Diverse genres of used books line another wall of the store, as the bookstore accepts all donations and sales of books from owners.

Curated selections of new books and a vide variety of used books can be found at Sehwa's English Bookstore [LIM JEONG-WON]

“I love English literature and had always wanted to open a bookstore, but I didn’t know that time would come this fast,” said Park to the Korea JoongAng Daily on Feb. 4. “I imagined it would be some time in my 50s that it would happen.”

About 65 percent of all customers to Sehwa’s English Bookstore are foreigners looking for English books to read, according to Park. The bookstore used to host events like mini-concerts and book clubs, but those have stopped recently. However, the possibility of other such events remains open, said Park.

Most used books cost 3,000 won ($2.2), but some are outside that price range, especially antique used books or rarer titles not easily found elsewhere.

A bulletin board inside Sehwa's English Bookstore [LIM JEONG-WON]

“Small bookstores need to survive for the publishing market to stay vibrant and for us to offer readers and customers a wider variety of book experiences,” said Park. “If we all simply went to the large bookstore chains, we’d be reading the same bestsellers, and there would be no diversity left.”

Sehwa’s English Bookstore is right in front of Gireum Station on Line 4, just outside exit No. 7.

010-8452-9988, Gireum Station Opening hours 11:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

Post Poetics, an independent bookstore and importer of arts books located in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, central Seoul [LIM JEONG-WON]

Post Poetics in Hannam-dong, central Seoul @postpoetics

A bookstore selling only English-language arts books in the visual arts, fashion, film, architecture, photography and music genres, Post Poetics sits at the center of the hip Hangangjin area off of Itaewon in Yongsan District. The bookstore began in 2006 in another location in Hangangjin before expanding to its current location in 2022.

The art section is by far the largest in Post Poetics, lining one huge wall. Exhibition collection books and retrospective publications on artists such as Edward Hopper, Daniel Richter and Jack Pierson stand out. Sections on more specific genres, such as graphic and interior design, are also available at Post Poetics.

Visual arts, fashion, film, architecture, photography and music genre books can be found at Post Poetics [LIM JEONG-WON]

“Our store has been featured in a lot of magazines overseas, such as the Popeye magazine in Japan, so many of those traveling to Korea visit the store,” said Choi San, a general manager at Post Poetics. “We have a lot of books that aren’t available for sale in other countries, which is a merit of Post Poetics.”

According to Choi, books at Post Poetics have been chiefly imported directly from publishers worldwide, including the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States.

Post Poetics' arts book collection is the largest section of the bookstore [LIM JEONG-WON]

Out of all the books available at Post Poetics, Choi recommended one called “BLESS: Celebrating 25 Years of Always Stress with BLESS N°42 - N°74 Book,” a 25th-anniversary book on the lifestyle brand Bless created by Desiree Heiss and Ines Kaag.

02-322-7023, Hangangjin Station Opening hours 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Inside the Seocho branch of Ink & Feather in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul [LIM JEONG-WON]

Ink & Feather in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul @inknfeather

In walking distance from Seocho Station on Line 2, Ink & Feather is Korea’s largest English books-only bookstore. Founded in 1994, the store has more than 40,000 kinds of English books, with an extensive collection in the children’s and young adult genres and other educational books. Ink & Feather has two branches — one in Seocho and another in Busan.

Parents looking for English books to buy for their children can find help at Ink & Feather regarding the level of proficiency they should look for in books. The bookstore also hosts regular seminars on English education and carries textbooks used in American schools. 02-3478-0505, Seocho Station Opening hours 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Ink & Feather has a large selection of children's books and textbooks [LIM JEONG-WON]

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]