If your Seoul shopping list currently contains the word squishies, you picked a very good time to visit. Soft tactile toys are suddenly everywhere again in Korea, and Dongdaemun’s old stationery and toy market has become one of the most interesting places to see the trend in person.
The Korean squishy scene is also broader than the foam toys you might remember from a few years ago. People are buying mallangi, wax balls, keycap toys, slime, sticky sensory toys, strange filled stress balls, keychains, and anything else that gives a satisfying texture or sound.
This guide is mainly about where to actually go. I am starting with Dongdaemun because it gives you the highest concentration of toy and stationery stores, then adding a few realistic alternatives for people who want to keep shopping elsewhere in Seoul.
1. Start at Dongdaemun Stationery and Toy Street
♡ If you are specifically coming to Seoul to hunt for squishies, this is the place I would try first.
If you only have time for one squishy-shopping destination in Seoul, make it Dongdaemun Stationery and Toy Street in Changsin-dong. This is not one giant toy store. It is a whole market street packed with small wholesalers and retailers selling stationery, toys, character products, party goods, gifts, and increasingly popular tactile toys.
Official Seoul tourism information describes Changsin-dong Toy Wholesale Market as the largest toy and stationery market in Korea, with more than 100 stores. VISITKOREA lists close to 120 shops along Dongdaemun Stationery Store Street. That is exactly why this area works better for a squishy hunt than going to one random toy shop. You can compare several stores without traveling across the city.
And right now the crowd is not only children. Mallangi and other tactile toys have become popular with people in their 20s and 30s, and recent reports from the market show young adults searching through bins, comparing textures, and looking for particular designs they saw online.
My biggest tip is not to buy the first cute squishy you see. Walk through the street first. Different shops may have different designs, textures, prices, and stock, so browsing before committing is part of the fun.
Shop squishies & sensory toys:
Crunchy Butter Squishy, 2 Pack
Coconut Oil Squishy
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2. Look for 말랑이, Korea’s Current Squishy Obsession
♡ If you hear people saying mallangi, they are talking about the soft, squeezable toys that are everywhere in Korea right now.
The Korean word you are going to see and hear a lot while squishy shopping is 말랑이 (mallangi). The name comes from the idea of something soft and squishy, and it is used for tactile toys that you can squeeze, knead, press, or stretch in your hands.
They come in a ridiculous number of designs. You may see food-shaped squishies, animals, cartoon-style characters, tiny keychain versions, transparent designs, sticky textures, slow-rising versions, filled toys, and squishies that are mostly interesting because of how strange they feel.
This is also why buying them in person is more fun than ordering one from a random online listing. A huge part of choosing a squishy is texture. Two products that look almost identical can feel completely different when you squeeze them.
If you want to ask a shop worker whether they have them, showing a photo is easiest, but you can also ask “말랑이 있어요?”, which means “Do you have mallangi?”
Shop squishies & sensory toys:
NeeDoh Nice Ice Baby
Cheese Squishy Stress Relief
Some links may be affiliate links. The Seoul Edit Blog may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
3. Check Seungjun Toy While You Are There
♡ One of the landmark stores of the Dongdaemun toy district and an easy place to include while you are already walking through the market.
One specific store worth recognizing in the area is Seungjun Toy. Seoul’s official tourism guide describes it as a landmark of Dongdaemun’s stationery and toy wholesale market and one of the oldest stores on Changsin-dong Toy Street.
It is a large toy wholesaler rather than a dedicated squishy boutique, so I would not go there expecting every viral mallangi design to be permanently stocked. The point is that it is one of the bigger toy stops in the district and is easy to check while comparing what different shops have that day.
Seoul’s tourism listing currently gives Seungjun Toy an address of 30 Jong-ro 52-gil, Jongno-gu and lists hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Store information can change, so confirm it before making a special trip only for this one shop.
Shop squishies & sensory toys:
Coconut Oil Squishy30 Pack Kawaii Squishy Toys
Some links may be affiliate links. The Seoul Edit Blog may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
4. Browse Donga Stationery for Character Goods and Toys
♡ Another easy Changsin-dong stop if you want more than just squishies.
Donga Stationery is another shop directly along Changsin-dong Stationery Street. VISITKOREA describes it as carrying a broad selection of stationery and character goods and notes that it is popular with both children and adults.
This is useful if your shopping list is not limited to one specific squishy. The same trip can easily turn into character stickers, stationery, little gifts, novelty toys, accessories, and whatever else you suddenly decide you need after seeing it.
Donga is listed at 5 Jong-ro 52-gil, Jongno-gu near Dongdaemun Station Exit 4. Current listed hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but squishy stock can change completely from one visit to the next.
Shop squishies & sensory toys:
Squishy Fidget Stress Cube Pack
Crunchy Butter Squishy, 2 PackSome links may be affiliate links. The Seoul Edit Blog may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
5. Squishies Are Only the Beginning: What Else to Look For
♡ The current Korean sensory-toy trend includes more than traditional foam squishies.
If you go looking only for the classic slow-rise foam squishy, you may miss half of what people are actually buying now. Korea’s current tactile toy trend includes mallangi, slime, keycap toys, filled stress toys, sticky textures, wax-coated balls, keychains, and hybrids that are hard to categorize until you actually touch them.
Recent reporting from Dongdaemun describes shoppers testing mallangi alongside clicking keycap toys and wax stress balls. Some mallangi return slowly to shape after being squeezed, while others are chosen because they feel sticky, stretchy, dense, soft, or unusually satisfying.
I would treat the market as a sensory-toy hunt rather than a mission for one exact product. You may arrive thinking you want a cute animal squishy and leave more obsessed with some strange little stress ball you did not know existed.
Shop squishies & sensory toys:
NeeDoh Nice Ice BabyCrayola Globbles 16ct
Some links may be affiliate links. The Seoul Edit Blog may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
6. Look for 왁뿌볼 and Other Crunchy Sensory Toys
♡ Not every satisfying toy is soft. Some of the current trend is about the sound and feeling of cracking something between your fingers.
Another word you may come across is 왁뿌볼, often described as a wax stress ball. These have a thin waxy outer layer that gives a crunchy or cracking sensation when pressed.
The appeal is different from a soft mallangi. Instead of endlessly kneading one texture, part of the satisfaction comes from the small crackling sensation and sound. That also makes these products popular in tactile and ASMR-style content online.
Products and terminology change fast in this category, so do not worry about knowing every Korean name before you arrive. Walk through the displays and see what people are actually picking up and testing.
Shop squishies & sensory toys:
30 Pack Kawaii Squishy ToysCoconut Oil SquishySome links may be affiliate links. The Seoul Edit Blog may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
7. Try HOTTRACKS in Dongdaemun for an Easier Indoor Shopping Stop
♡ Not everyone wants to spend an entire afternoon digging through wholesale-market displays.
If you want something more organized after the market, HOTTRACKS inside Hyundai Outlet Dongdaemun is another useful nearby shopping stop. VISITKOREA describes HOTTRACKS as a lifestyle and culture retailer selling stationery, novelty goods, toys, recreational products, music, and accessories.
This is not a dedicated squishy store, so I would treat it as a backup or add-on rather than the main reason for your trip. Sensory-toy stock depends on what is currently being sold, while Dongdaemun Toy Street gives you far more shops to compare.
The advantage is convenience. It is indoors, organized, card friendly, and currently listed as operating later than many of the small market stores. That makes it useful if you reach Dongdaemun later in the day or want to continue browsing other cute lifestyle goods.
Shop squishies & sensory toys:
Cheese Squishy Stress ReliefSquishy Fidget Stress Cube PackSome links may be affiliate links. The Seoul Edit Blog may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
8. Namdaemun Stationery Street Is Another Place to Browse Toys and Cute Goods
♡ It is not as squishy-focused as Dongdaemun right now, but it is useful if you already plan to shop around Namdaemun.
Another Seoul shopping area worth knowing is Namdaemun Market’s Stationery Street. VISITKOREA describes the shopping center as carrying colorful stationery, toys, wrapping supplies, and other goods.
I would still choose Dongdaemun first if your entire goal is finding mallangi and current sensory toys. Dongdaemun is the place drawing the strongest attention for that trend right now. Namdaemun works better as an alternative if you are already visiting the market and want to add toy and stationery browsing to the same day.
Individual stores can carry completely different inventory, so treat this as a place to hunt rather than a guarantee that one exact squishy will be waiting for you.
Shop squishies & sensory toys:
Crunchy Butter Squishy, 2 PackCrayola Globbles 16ctSome links may be affiliate links. The Seoul Edit Blog may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
9. How Much Do Squishies Cost in Seoul?
♡ The cheap prices are part of why people keep buying several instead of carefully choosing one.
Prices vary enormously depending on the toy, design, size, texture, shop, packaging, and whether you are buying something basic or more elaborate. Recent 2026 reporting from the Changsin-dong market found many mallangi in roughly the ₩2,000 to ₩6,000 range, depending on the design and features.
That is only a useful current reference point, not an official price list. You will find products outside that range, and prices can change quickly when one particular design goes viral.
Dongdaemun Stationery Store Street in general is known for wholesale pricing. Official tourism information says many products there can be around 30 to 40 percent below ordinary consumer retail prices, with further reductions sometimes available for bulk or older stock.
This is another reason to compare before buying. If you see the same toy in several stores, check the price instead of assuming every seller charges exactly the same amount.
Shop squishies & sensory toys:
NeeDoh Nice Ice BabyCheese Squishy Stress ReliefSome links may be affiliate links. The Seoul Edit Blog may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
10. Check the Texture and Quality Before You Buy
♡ For tactile toys, the whole point is how they feel, so buying only because the character is cute can be a mistake.
If a shop allows you to handle a sample, use it. Some squishies are extremely soft, some are dense, some rise back slowly, some feel sticky, and others may barely feel satisfying at all. The texture is personal.
Also look at the seams, surface, paint, packaging, and whether anything already looks damaged. For filled tactile toys, make sure you understand that squeezing, stretching, or repeatedly crushing them too aggressively can eventually damage the material.
If there is no sample, do not open sealed products without asking. Wholesale-style stores can have piles of stock close together, but that does not mean every package is there to be opened and tested.
I would also avoid buying an enormous number from the first store. Pick one or two textures you like, keep browsing, and come back if that shop still has the best ones.
Shop squishies & sensory toys:
Crayola Globbles 16ctCrunchy Butter Squishy, 2 PackSome links may be affiliate links. The Seoul Edit Blog may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
11. The Best Squishy Shopping Plan
If squishies are the main reason for your shopping trip, I would go directly to Dongdaemun Stationery and Toy Street first. Do not waste half the day searching random Seoul malls hoping one store happens to have the exact texture you saw online.
Start around Dongdaemun Station Exit 4 or Dongmyo Station Exit 6 and walk through the Changsin-dong toy market. Look through several stores before buying much. Compare mallangi, wax balls, stress toys, prices, and textures, then go back for whichever ones you liked most.
Afterward, you can add Donga Stationery and Seungjun Toy while you are already in the district. If you still want more browsing, move toward Dongdaemun’s malls and check HOTTRACKS for stationery, novelty goods, and other recreational items.
I would only make Namdaemun a second squishy destination if you already plan to visit Namdaemun Market. It has a proper stationery shopping area, but Dongdaemun is the stronger first choice for the current mallangi trend.
12. What to Bring for Squishy Hunting in Seoul
First, bring a charged phone. You will probably be comparing photos, checking Korean map apps, translating product names, taking pictures, messaging friends, and looking up the exact squishy somebody told you to find.
I would also save screenshots of the styles you want. Describing “that really soft little bread thing I saw on TikTok” is harder than simply showing the shop worker a picture.
Bring a reusable bag or leave room in your backpack too. One ₩2,000 squishy seems tiny. Eight squishies, a wax ball, stickers, three keychains, a notebook, and the mystery toy you bought because everybody else was touching it suddenly become an actual bag of stuff.
And give yourself time. Dongdaemun Toy Street is much more fun when you can browse instead of running into one shop, buying the first thing you see, and leaving.
13. FAQ: Buying Squishies in Seoul
Where is the best place to buy squishies in Seoul?
Dongdaemun Stationery and Toy Street in Changsin-dong is the first place I would try. The area has more than 100 stationery and toy shops, and it is currently attracting younger shoppers looking for mallangi and other sensory toys.
What are squishies called in Korean?
A common term for soft tactile squishy toys is 말랑이, pronounced roughly mallangi. Showing a photo is still the easiest way to ask for one specific style.
How do I get to Dongdaemun Toy Street?
Official Seoul tourism information places the market near Dongdaemun Station Exit 4 and Dongmyo Station Exit 6. The market is around Jong-ro 52-gil in Changsin-dong, Jongno-gu.
How much do Korean squishies cost?
Prices depend on the design, size, texture, and store. Recent 2026 reporting from Changsin-dong found many mallangi around ₩2,000 to ₩6,000, but treat that as a current reference rather than a fixed price.
What other sensory toys are popular in Korea?
Current tactile-toy trends include mallangi, slime, wax stress balls known as 왁뿌볼, keycap toys, sticky or slow-rising squishies, and other stress or ASMR-style toys.
Is Dongdaemun Toy Street only for children?
No. Recent 2026 reporting shows large numbers of shoppers in their 20s and 30s visiting specifically for sensory toys, nostalgia, character goods, and inexpensive collectible items.
What time should I visit Dongdaemun Toy Street?
Official sources currently list market hours around 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., but individual stores have their own schedules and holiday policies. I would visit during the daytime and check any specific shop before making a special trip.
14. Sources and Shopping Information
Toy trends and individual shop inventories change quickly. A store that has one viral mallangi today may sell out tomorrow, so this guide focuses on reliable shopping areas rather than promising permanent stock of one specific squishy.
Market schedules also vary by individual store. Official tourism sources currently list the general Dongdaemun Stationery Store Street around 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., while individual stores have their own operating days and hours. Check the exact store if you are traveling specifically for it.
Visit Seoul: Changsin-dong Toy Wholesale Market
VISITKOREA: Dongdaemun Stationery Store Street
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15. Final Thoughts
If you want squishies in Seoul, I would not overcomplicate it. Start in Changsin-dong. Dongdaemun’s Stationery and Toy Street gives you an entire row of stores to search instead of betting your day on one shop having the exact product you want.
And go with an open mind. You may arrive looking for one specific mallangi and discover that the weird wax ball, tiny food squishy, sticky animal, keycap toy, or stress toy beside it is much more satisfying.
That unpredictability is honestly part of why the market is fun. Squishy shopping is not only about buying the toy. It is squeezing everything, comparing textures, finding bizarre designs, checking different shops, and eventually leaving with far more tiny objects than you intended.
If squishies are currently your obsession, Dongdaemun may end up being one of the most dangerous shopping streets in Seoul for your wallet.
