Fading Frontier Volume 1 — Yongsan Electronics Market
Korea’s Version of Akihabara Faces Tough Times, Still Worth a Visit
I’ve been in Korea for more than 10 years now. As a PC gamer, my choices today are basically unlimited. Whether it’s Steam, EA Origins, or any number of download services, getting the games I want is usually just a credit-card confirmation away.
But it wasn’t always like this and was certainly even more difficult as a region-locked console gamer.
10 years ago, finding games in Korea was a hassle. Finding games in English? A complete crap-shoot.
So where could you go to get that hot copy of Assassin’s Creed 2? You, my friend, had to make a trip to the Yongsan Electronics Market.
Located right next to a major rail hub, the Yongsan Electronics Market is the biggest electronics “arcade” in Seoul. Arcade being a Korean-English patois for “any neighborhood that sells items in the same general category”. So in the Yongsan market you’ll find DJ equipment, computer parts, and of course games.
Open since 1988 the market still has about 3000 shops strewn over a neighborhood of dozens of buildings, most buildings having hundreds of stalls. The best way to describe the vibe is…a dilapidated Akihabara. You can find tons of neat stuff here, but the neighborhood is unmistakably disappearing. Due to competition with online retailers most Koreans I know would rather shop from home than deal with the famously aggressive and gruff vendors at Yongsan. That’s not even going into the fact that most of the buildings look like they haven’t had renovations since the 90s. To be frank, the place has always looked like it was half falling apart.
But that’s the charm of the Yongsan Electronics Market as well. Being from the US, my purchase of tech toys has always been a sterile one. The general experience is to go to Best Buy or Amazon, purchase, done. Going to Yongsan is much more visceral — You will argue with surly old Korean men just to shave 10% off the price of a game, only to have it tacked back on if you use a credit card. But while initially frustrating, there’s really nothing like having an actual relationship with the vendors who are looking out for you. It feels nice to tell a friend who’s looking for a new PC or where to find games “Hey, don’t worry, I got a guy, he’s the best”. When’s the last time you “had a guy” at Amazon?
I briefly spoke with one such vendor right at the entrance named MJ who runs MJ Game Accessory Shop. He’s been in Yongsan for 10 years and when I asked how the rise of online shopping has affected him and the area, he said that people still like coming to Yongsan because of the man-to-man [one on one] experience. Essentially people come to MJ because they like MJ. I’ve had similar experiences there. Dealing with hundreds of people selling the exact same thing can be exhausting, but once you’ve found one awesome dealer, you’ve got a friend for life who remembers your face and goes out of their way to hook you up!
A Lowered Stature, but it’s Not All Doom and Gloom
As a major electronics hub Yongsan had always been the destination for the newest console and PC games. With the rise of download services and the internet, the need to come to Yongsan has waned significantly, and the effect on vendors is readily apparent — more and more empty stalls are appearing every year and it’s no secret that the Seoul government is itching to bulldoze the area. That said, there’s still reasons to come.
Aside from the hands-on vendor experience, Yongsan is also an absolute treasure trove of Korean gaming nostalgia. Have you ever seen a Samsung branded Sega Genesis? Wtf is a “Casio Loopy”? NeoGeos still fresh in the plastic? Supaboy?
If you’re a vintage game enthusiast, Akihabara gets all the spotlight — and it’s well deserved — but if you’re nearby, Yongsan unquestionably deserves your attention.
HOW TO GET THERE
Being at a major transportation hub, getting in the area is easy, but getting to the actual market takes some work.
