On-Site: Discovering the World of Custom Korean Eyewear at Gana Optical

Prescription glasses made in under an hour may sound too good to be real. For Gana Optical, it’s a daily practice. Located in Seoul, the eyewear shop offers custom prescription glasses and sunglasses. Vision exams, luxury eyewear, and local Korean frames are all available in their Myeongdong storefront. 

During a visit to Seoul, EnVi sat with Chief Executive Officer Man Joong Kim to chat about his company’s custom eyewear and Korean eyewear trends. Team EnVi also got hands-on experience with custom eyewear. Read on to discover the intricacies of custom Korean eyewear with Gana Optical.

Gana Optical

Gana Optical sits in the middle of the bustling neighborhood of Myeongdong in Seoul. Within the urban buzz, speeding motorcycles, hotteok (Korean sweet pancake) stands and Korean cosmetic shops surround the eyewear shop. Upon opening Gana Optical’s doors, customers are greeted by Chief Executive Officer Man Joong Kim (who also goes by M.J.) and his staff.

Kim’s store specializes in custom optical eyewear. Whether clear or tinted, the lenses can be made into custom prescription eyewear. They also offer eye exams for customers without a prescription. Depending on the frame and prescription requirements, the glasses can be ready for pickup within hours. 

The multi-generational store has been in operation for over 30 years. “That’s my father,” Kim says, gesturing to a man outside the glass window. The CEO’s father started the store decades ago and has since passed it down to his son.

Gana Optical offers global brands and Korean eyewear in a large price range. Western names such as Gucci, Ray-Ban and Christian Dior share cases with domestic favorites such as Public Beacon and Black Monster. Although the name won’t immediately ring a bell, Public Beacon has been a favorite among Korean celebrities and locals alike — Korean pop groups RIIZE, TWICE and ITZY are notable brand clients. In fact, locals come to Gana Optical because the store carries the largest selection of Public Beacon glasses among optical stores.

Creating Custom Eyewear

Custom eyewear has been accessible to Koreans for decades, and many shops exist all over Seoul. Just a few blocks away, Namdaemun Market overflows with countless eyewear shops. “Actually, we have to do everything our best,” Kim says about the saturated market. However, the store’s wide range of offerings and language capabilities set them apart from the competitive market. The staff at Gana Optical can speak various languages, including English, French, Japanese, Chinese, German and Russian.  

Once customers arrive, the staff sets up an eye exam if the customer doesn’t have a prescription. Kim recommends doing the exam first because high nearsighted prescriptions are too thick to fit into large framed glasses. After the test, customers select clear or sunglass lenses. The staff usually makes the custom eyewear in less than a day, but some prescriptions take longer. Gana Optical can also update former customers’ existing prescriptions by replacing old lenses with those that match the required new prescription. 

Kim gives us a hands-on learning experience. First, we sit down for an eye exam. The two-part test takes around ten minutes. After the test, Kim reports that no prescriptions are needed. Since I personally wanted to try out Public Beacon, I pick up a pair of thin wayfarers from the Korean brand. 

Korean Eyewear Trends

Kim handpicks every frame that comes into his eyewear shop, so he has a clear understanding of what’s popular at Gana Optical. “When I meet American people, they like a little bit of bolder design — you know, big metal and plastic frames. But Korean people are separated: some want trendier designs, and others want normal frames,” Kim explains. 

“Korea’s society is a little bit more conservative than other countries,” says the CEO, explaining that some of Korean culture’s reservations directly affect people’s fashion choices. Kim, for example, points out that until recently the majority of his Korean customers favored black or neutral frames. 

Due to Western influence and modernization, Koreans have been trying out more daring styles and trends, such as the geeky chic and office siren aesthetics. In the past few years, Kim has tried to keep up with the fast-paced trends in Korea. Gesturing toward multicolored cat eye frames, he says, “I always do my job, but frames like these are difficult for me.”

In any case, Kim shares, some locals still prefer subdued styles. For example, Korean eyewear brand Black Monster has garnered popularity with simple designs and ultra-flexible frames. The brand recently became a favorite Ready-To-Wear brand among Gana Optical’s customers. 

Korean Eyewear Manufacturing

As Kim explains, there are a few reasons Korean brands stand out in the global market. For one thing, they tend to manufacture their products in Daegu. Located three hours outside of Seoul, Daegu is known as the manufacturing hub for eyewear conglomerate Luxottica. However, the industrial city has an ever more longstanding connection with Korean eyewear. According to Daegu’s official website Buk-Gu, 82% of Korean eyeglasses manufacturing is located in the district of Chimsan-Nowon-dong in Daegu. The Korea Optics Industry Promotion Agency organized the area in 2006 and coined it “The Eyeglasses Street.” Now, the city invites eyewear industry leaders from around the world to the Daegu International Optical Show every year. 

The structural differences of Korean nose pads also set Korean eyewear products apart. Due to general East Asian physiognomy, Korean eyewear brands often feature tall nose pads. The height allows the frames to sit further off the face and not on top of the cheeks. Kim shares that while some Western brands carry frames with high nose pads, they aren’t as widely available.

Our visit to Gana Optical made us want to dive deeper into South Korea’s rich eyewear industry. Eyewear holds prevalence not just in the Korean fashion industry, but in the country’s industrialization. The glasses and services prove Korea’s distinction within the global eyewear market. When planning a trip to South Korea, make sure to stop by Gana Optical to try Korean eyewear.

Want to discover more places in Seoul? Come with EnVi to vistit Youtbath’s studio in Seoul here.