Hanju Diary
Euljiro 3-ga, Jongno in Seoul
Today I’d like to introduce Hanju Diary, a shop located right next to Oldies Taco in Euljiro 3-ga.
I run ArtyShine Studio, a stationery shop where I create handmade notebooks, and I’m a real stationery lover myself. Hanju is a place I visit often and genuinely enjoy.
At ArtyShine Studio, we focus on classic stationery and interior pieces, offering over 1,000 unique handmade notebooks made with imported paper covers from various countries — each crafted as a limited edition to present you with your very own one-of-a-kind handmade notebook.
Hanju Diary, on the other hand, is a wonderful spot where you can find high-quality leather diaries at very reasonable prices.
They offer a wide selection of diaries made with different types of leather, along with many lovely accessories. I’m sure you’ll find something you like if you stop by.
If you’re visiting Euljiro, make sure to check out both the vintage shop Oldies Taco that I introduced before and Hanju Diary right next door!
Location & Business Hours / Parking
Address
- 1F, 2 Chungmu-ro 4-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul (Hanju)
- 3–5 minute walk from Exit 8 of Euljiro 3-ga Station
- About 5 minutes on foot from Chungmuro Station
- Located on the 1st floor, so it’s easy to find
- (Right next to Oldies Taco)
Opening Hours
- Monday–Friday: 09:30 – 19:30
- Saturday & Sunday: 14:00 – 19:00
- ※ Weekend hours may vary, so we recommend calling ahead before your visit
Parking
- No parking available at the store itself
- Nearby public parking options:
- Chungmuro Station Public Parking Lot (3–5 min walk)
- Myeongdong Underground Public Parking Lot (7–10 min walk)
- Euljiro Public Parking Lot (within 8 min walk)
- Public transportation is highly recommended!
Exterior
Hanju Diary has been professionally producing corporate diaries, calendars, and design stationery under Hanju Co., Ltd. since 1985.
Many people probably wonder, “How can the prices be this low?”
The Euljiro 3-ga store is a factory-direct outlet, so thanks to large-scale production, you can find high-quality products at very reasonable prices. Once you step inside, it’s hard to leave — it’s a real “Rabbit hole” kind of shop that keeps drawing you back.
Euljiro 3-ga and Jongno 3-ga are especially popular areas for foreign tourists visiting Korea, and thanks to word of mouth, many of them seem to stop by Hanju Diary as well.
Interior & Atmosphere
The Hanju Diary store is quite small in size. Inside, you’ll find a variety of leather diaries and leather accessories on display, along with a small selection of other stationery items. The main focus is definitely the leather diaries!
It can get a little crowded at times, making browsing slightly tricky, but if you take your time looking around, you’ll find yourself putting one item after another into your basket without even noticing how much time has passed.
On the walls, there are also charming urban sketch artworks gifted by customers who drew the shop themselves, which adds an extra layer of fun while browsing.
Hanju Diary Products
Leather diaries in various sizes, along with diary keyrings
The diaries ranged from mini keyring diaries to sketchbooks, stitched
notebooks, and initial notebooks. Leather diaries were available in various sizes, and most of them were in a wireless (thread-bound) notebook style.
Prices were very accessible, starting from special sale items at 2,000 won up to around 15,000 won, so it was easy to choose without pressure.
Since I’ve been studying Japanese lately, I bought a pocket-sized notebook that I can carry around to jot down vocabulary and grammar whenever they come to mind.
Shaped clips (animals, alphabet, and objects)
There were also many cute clips available in a variety of shapes. They had initial clips as well, though not every letter of the alphabet was available.
With lots of pretty designs like animals and flowers, they would look adorable not just as actual clips, but also as decorations on a diary cover.
Stationery Items
There were also cute shaped sticky notes, stamps, pencils, and stickers, along with corner bookmarks, mini pencils, and pen holders.
The cat-shaped magnetic bookmarks particularly caught my eye. Since I love cats and thought they would match well with the neon-colored diary I bought at Hanju, I picked up a few.
There was also a mini grid underlay that helps you write more neatly and evenly.
Cat calendars, postcards, stickers, and posters
They were also selling the flying cat poster displayed at the front of the Hanju Diary store, and there were cat goods scattered throughout the shop!
Since it’s currently August, the calendars were on sale. The calendar’s name is Tobineko (とびねこ), which means “flying cat” in Japanese. I felt a little proud that I could understand the Japanese name.
There were also stickers you can use to decorate the front of your diary, along with sample diaries showing how to style them nicely.
Various leather products
(Pencil cases, card wallets, and diary covers)
There were also magnetic pen holders that you can stick on the fridge or office walls.
They had thin pencil cases that hold about three pens. I liked the cobalt blue color and hesitated between red and blue before choosing the blue one.
I put three Monami pens (red, black, and blue) inside and carry it when I study. It fits perfectly in my bag and is really convenient.
There were also card wallets on display as samples. The leather card wallets were priced around 10,000 won.
They were nicely made with contrasting colors on the outside and inside. There were a few other color options available — about four different colors in total.
For those who use 6-hole diaries, there were leather 6-hole diary covers available in a variety of colors.
They also offered different types of refills, and the size was small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. It was impressive that a genuine leather diary (including the basic inserts) was priced at around 10,000 won.
(These are based on Korean size standards.)
- 6-hole diary: A7 size
- 5-hole diary: about A8 size
- Refill inserts: 2,800 won
There were also leather book covers for book lovers. They came in various styles, and you could choose the elastic band color you preferred. The leather book covers were priced at 15,000 won.
‘Hangul’ notebooks and initial notebooks
There were also initial leather diaries that can be used as regular diaries or for various other purposes.
For foreign tourists visiting Korea or those who love Hangul, there were notebooks with Korean consonants and vowels printed on the covers. There were also notebooks featuring cross and heart designs.
These would be great for Christians or Catholics who want to use them for Bible transcription. I gifted one to a close friend who goes to church, and she loved it.
Study notebooks and memo pads
There were also blank and lined vocabulary notebooks prepared for those studying a second language or needing study notes.
They also had sticky memo pads with gold or silver foil edges, designed so you can insert a pencil or pen on the side. The vocabulary notebooks were 1,000 won, and the sticky memo pads were 5,000 won.
What I Purchased
This time I bought a heart sticky note, a cobalt blue mini pencil case, a grid underlay, a rabbit-shaped clip that I often use as my personal symbol, a neon-colored notebook, and cat magnetic bookmarks.
When I attached the cat magnetic bookmark to the neon notebook cover, it matched so well that it almost looked like it was part of the original design.
The owner saw the combination I had chosen and said, “The color combination you picked is so pretty,” and asked if she could take a photo. It made me feel really happy.😊
Overall Visit & Review
Space ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Although the store is small, the leather diaries are well arranged, making it easy to look around and browse. It’s only a 3-minute walk from Exit 8 of Euljiro 3-ga Station, so the accessibility is excellent.
Products ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you love leather goods or are looking for a leather diary, the quality for the price is really outstanding. If you’re searching for a comfortable notebook to use while studying, I highly recommend Hanju Diary. It’s the perfect place!
Willingness to Revisit ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Whenever I come to Euljiro 3-ga, I’ll probably stop by Hanju Diary like a landmark as a stationery lover.
If you’re visiting Korea, it’s also a great place for a quick look around. I recommend it!
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.
I’ll answer as best as I can!
I’ll be back with another review next time.
“If, you found this helpful”
Thank you
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