Convenience is basically an art form in Korea. In my month here so far, I have experienced convenience in ways I had never even conceived of in the United States. Everything is very densely structured in the city, meaning your destination is hardly ever more than a few blocks away. There are clean public bathrooms located on every block as part of shopping complexes. All the prices, of anything, end in even denominations, with the tax already factored in.

Among these wonders, one of my favorites has got to be the Korean convenience store, CU. There is one located on basically every street corner, and on the ground floor of most apartments. Last minute shopping is a breeze. They carry everything from instant meals, drinks of all kinds, medicine, and office supplies. Some of the more interesting things are specific to Korea. Let’s investigate, shall we? 🙂 The following are some of the best/most surprising things I’ve found in Korean convenience stores.

1. Shrimp… everywhere

Shrimp seems to be one of the most popular flavors for a lot of things in Korea. Chips, popcorn, and I think I might’ve even seen some candy. What’s more, I don’t really need the lovely graphic. Whatcha doin’ there, Mr. Shrimp? Why are you creepin’ on my chips? Please go back into the sea where you belong.

2. And Squid

What’s a shrimp-flavored snack without some squid to go along with it? These are some dried squid tentacles, apparently a popular choice. I’m also a little unnerved by the graphic. Did they intend for it to look so… suggestive?

3. Cuteness!

A little dose of cuteness never hurts to balance out some of the funky sea critters. This bear-y sweet pancake is just as delicious as it is cute. I’ve noticed lots of cute graphics, characters, and designs throughout Korea, on all kinds of products. I must admit it makes everyday life a little more snuggly.

4. Emojis

On the note of cuteness, Korea has some of the best emojis I have ever seen. They come through a talking and texting app, Kakao. Seriously, look up the kakao emojis. In fact, I might do a whole blog post on them. The characters are cultural icons across Korea, and you can buy little bonus packs for extra emojis and unlockables in any convenience store.

5. RAMEN

Korea would be a poor college student’s paradise (at least in terms of diet) – there is ramen galore. Every shop is packed full of stacks of different flavors. The quality is better than instant ramen in the states, if I may add.

6. Rice

It may not be super flashy, but rice is unarguably a staple of the Korean diet. You can buy packs of pre-cooked, single serving rice in the corner shops. Convenience to the max!

7. Rice Triangles

To up rice’s cool factor, Koreans indulge in these handy snacks – rice triangles! Called samgak-gimbap, they are cooled bundles of rice, swaddled in a crisp seaweed wrap, with a surprise in the middle, usually a type of meat, seafood, or curry. This particular one is spicy… Christmas… flavor?

8. Me!

There’s a beer in Korea called Max! It’s a national brand, and not too bad if I may say. I always get a kick out of ordering it.

9. Soju

Ah, soju. You delightful Korean devil, you. Soju is an alcohol distilled from rice, with a 20% alcohol content. On its own, it tastes like watery vodka, but the real party lies with flavored soju. Soju can come infused with pomegranate, blueberry, strawberry, and more. The flavored varieties weigh in at around 14-15%, and a bottle only costs a dollar and change. It’s delicious, crisp, and… it sneaks up on you.

10. Hangover Cures

Maybe you can already tell the night is going to be drenched in soju. Well if that’s the case, you should stock up on some of these bad boys and drink one while the night is young. I’ve heard from *ahem* a friend that these concoctions can really take the edge off a hangover. Little warm bottles of water infused with honey and ginger – a welcomed calming presence for the stomach.

All in all, I hope your fancy is tickled just as much as mine was when I discovered all these Korean convenient wonders. The convenience stores may not be enough in themselves to justify an entire trip to Korea, but they sure do come close.