Description

E-Mart is like the Wal-Mart of Korea. If you need pretty much anything, you can jump in a cab and say E-mart. If you are on the north side of the island in Jeju City, you can even say E-mart on NO HUNG DONG and it makes it funnier.

~~The store has several levels. Ground level is clothing, accessories, shoes, babies/children, jewelry, camping and swimming gear. Up the escalator you will find stationery, electronics, books, housewares/domestics, automotive, and additional check lanes.

~~Incidentally, the food court upstairs has excellent food for such a place, but the don't serve drinks. The bathroom is in the very back corner through the "food court" and the toilets are so complicated that the instruction manual is posted on the stall door.

~~In the basement is the grocery store. They have fresh bread and baked goods, along with all the other items you would expect in a supermarket. Some health and beauty items, however, have to be purchased in a pharmacy instead. Like hand sanitizer, for example. Which you need to have in Korea.

~~The grocery section in particular is a fun place to browse, both to marvel at the Korean products (like 5,000 varieties of ramen) and see the subtle differences in American/worldwide ones. There are also lots of people giving out samples in cute outfits.

~~Be on the lookout for ENGRISH. The broken English chosen for Korean packaging is hilarious and random. Some of the best Engrish in Asia can be found right here in E-mart, especially in the stationery and housewares departments upstairs.

~~Right around the corner from E-mart on Nohyung-dong is New World Valley (big pink building) which has numerous floors and is one of the local "malls." It is a combination grocery store/ flea market/ Popeye's Chicken/ movie theater/ upscale clothing floor/ nail salon/ boutiques/ eyeglass store. Very eclectic and worth a browse for sure. The independent vendors have some cute purses and hair accessories for sale.