Many optical shops in Korea sell sunglasses too, and they can often put your prescription in them. The wait depends on the lens and the shop, and brand flagships like Gentle Monster don’t add prescription lenses.
This is a follow-up to my guide on getting glasses in Korea.
Quick answer
- Regular optical shops sell sunglasses and can swap in prescription lenses
- Shops usually keep a few popular, neutral lenses in stock, so those can be ready in a few hours. Other colors take several days.
- Polarized, photochromic and strong-prescription lenses can take several days
- Gentle Monster and similar brand stores usually sell the frame only, with no prescription lenses
- Photochromic lenses now come in many more colors, and one pair can work as both glasses and sunglasses
- Wait times vary by shop, so always ask before you pay
Sunglasses at optical shops
Many people think sunglasses are sold only at brand stores. In Korea, most regular optical shops carry sunglasses next to their glasses frames. Some people buy a frame and ask the shop to fit prescription lenses. Others take their glasses frame and switch to tinted lenses.
The process is the same as for regular glasses: eye test, frame, lens, fitting. If you wear glasses, I’d start at an optical shop and not at a brand store.
How long prescription sunglasses take
As with regular glasses, the lens decides the wait, not the frame.
| What you want | Typical wait |
|---|---|
| Sunglasses with no prescription | Take them home right away |
| Prescription lenses in the popular colors the shop keeps in stock (usually 2–3 types) | A few hours, often same day |
| Prescription lenses in other colors | Several days (often 4–5) |
| Polarized lenses | About 4–5 business days |
| Goggle-style frames or special processing | Up to 1–2 weeks |
| Photochromic lenses | Usually 3–7 days |
| Gentle Monster and other brand flagships | Frame only, no prescription lenses |
Shops usually keep two or three popular, neutral lenses in stock, so those can be ready in a few hours. If you want a different color, the lens has to be ordered, and that takes several days. These are rough ranges, and they vary from shop to shop. Ask “How long will it take?” before you pay. If your lenses might need ordering, go on the first day of your trip.
Gentle Monster and prescription lenses
Brand flagships like Gentle Monster’s are designed to sell frames and sunglasses, and they generally don’t add prescription lenses. If you want a prescription pair, you have two options:
- Buy the frame, then ask a regular optical shop whether they can fit lenses into it. Many can, but some shops decline certain frames, so ask first.
- Choose a frame from an optical shop that already offers prescription lenses.
Ask before you pay, since policies can differ by store.
Photochromic lenses: glasses and sunglasses in one
Photochromic lenses (변색렌즈) are clear indoors and darken in sunlight. A few years ago the color choice was limited. Now regular optical shops carry many more colors, including softer, more stylish tones that look like fashion sunglasses and not just a gray tint.
This is handy if you live somewhere with strong sun, like the US West Coast or Australia. One pair works as your everyday glasses and your sunglasses, so you don’t carry two. If you’d rather keep your regular glasses, some shops also sell clip-on or flip-up sunglasses that attach to your frame.
Two things to know:
- They take longer to make, usually 3–7 days
- Most photochromic lenses react to UV light, and car windshields block much of it, so they may not darken much while you drive. Ask the shop about this if you drive often.
Tips for buying sunglasses in Korea
- Bring your current glasses so the shop can read your prescription
- Ask for frame and lens prices separately, since tint and coating options add up
- Ask whether the lens is made on site or ordered, and how many days it takes
FAQ
Can I get prescription sunglasses made in Korea?
Yes, at most regular optical shops. Popular lenses the shop keeps in stock can be ready in a few hours, while other colors take several days. This varies by shop, so ask before you pay.
Does Gentle Monster add prescription lenses?
Generally no. Their stores focus on frames and sunglasses. Ask the store, or take the frame to an optical shop.
Can one pair work as both glasses and sunglasses?
Yes, with photochromic lenses or clip-on sunglasses. Photochromic lenses usually take 3–7 days.
This guide shares my own experience and general information. Wait times and prices vary by shop and may change, so confirm them before you pay.
Leave a Reply