Seoul, the vibrant capital of South Korea, is renowned for its bustling city life and colorful culture. But beyond the skyscrapers and modern attractions, the city also boasts a thriving street food scene that will tantalize your taste buds.

 

If you're planning a trip to Seoul or embarking on a self-guided tour of Korea, be sure to add these bustling Korean markets to your itinerary.

 

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NAMDAEMUN MARKET

 

First opened in 1414 during the Joseon Dynasty, this is considered the oldest Korean market in Seoul and is imbued with the traditional values of the land of Kim Chi. Namdaemun Market has more than 10,000 large and small shops with a variety of goods, ensuring this will be an extremely worth-visiting place during your Seoul tour.

 

©CK Travels

 

In addition to selling common goods in the morning, Namdaemun Market takes on a more bustling and delicious look at night with stalls selling Korean street food. To get to Namdaemun Market, take the No. 4 (blue) train to Hwehyeon Station and exit through Exit No. 5!

📍 Address: 21 Namdaemunsijang 4-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea

 

©The Seoul guide

 

When coming to Namdaemun market, don't forget to enjoy special dishes such as: Spicy braised spearfish served with hot rice, hot and crispy hotteok with fragrant cinnamon and brown sugar filling, hand-cut noodles (kalguksu) with mandu and bindaetteok - Korean pancake with meat and mung bean filling and sweet soy sauce.

 

©Shutterstock

 

GWANGJANG MARKET

 

Gwangjang Market in Seoul, Korea was established in 1905 and you will surely feel extremely familiar with this place if you have had experience traveling to Seoul before.

 

©CK Travels

 

Gwangjang Market is considered the most famous tourist destination in Korea, with countless delicious Korean street foods waiting for you to discover. This is also the filming location of the famous Netflix show Street Food: Asia. To get to Gwangjang Market, you can take the train line 1 (dark blue) to Jongno5ga station and exit through exit 8.

📍 Address: 88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea

 

©The Seoul Guide

 

If you have the opportunity to visit Gwangjang market during your self-guided tour of Korea, don't forget to enjoy typical dishes such as: Yukhoe (raw beef with sesame salt), Tteokbokki and Sundae sausage, mini gimbab rice rolls, …

 

©Daniel Food Diary

 

TONGIN MARKET

 

Located next to Gyengbokgung Palace, Tongin Market is the closest and safest option if you plan to visit the palace on a day trip. With affordable prices and a variety of food, this is definitely the best choice for your trip in Seoul.

 

©The Seoul Guide

 

To get to Tongin Market, you need to take the Jongno09 bus from Gyeongbokgung and go 2 stops to Ohgeori.Hanokmaeul station and go to the market.

📍 Address: 18 Chahamun15gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

 

Tongin Market's specialty is its unusual way of enjoying food called Dosirak Cafe (lunch box cafe). Instead of having to eat a large portion of each dish, you can eat moderate amounts of each dish from many shops in the market and pay for it all at once.

 

This means you tour the market, choose the food you want to eat, put it in a lunch box tray and create your own lunch box. You can go to the 2nd floor of the market, exchange the market-specific coins at the Customer Service Center and shop.

 

©서울여행

 

DONGDAEMUN MARKET

 

Stylish, crowded and bustling are the three keywords that best describe Dongdaemun Market at any time of the day, whether it is 3pm or 5am. Dongdaemun Market is famous as the fashion capital of Seoul with countless clothing stalls and an extremely bustling night market.

 

©호텔스컴바인

 

Known as the market that never sleeps, Dongdaemun Market is a highlight of Seoul and a unique tourist destination in Korea. Here you can comfortably shop in complexes that are open from afternoon to 5am, or stroll through stalls selling super attractive Korean street food.

 

©Seoul Metropolitan Government

 

Get ready with a pair of comfortable shoes and strong legs to explore the nooks and crannies of this giant market! Take the subway line 2 (green) to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park station and exit through exit 2!

📍 Address: 272 Jong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

 

🔗Dongdaemun Top 12 Shopping Malls

 

MYEONGDONG MARKET

 

Once you've been in Myeongdong Market, you'll know there's a lot of food... a lot. If you travel to Korea and haven't been to Myeongdong yet... why not go? Go and discover 1001 extremely delicious Korean street foods with affordable prices and a variety that no other market in Korea can compare to.

 

©CK Travels

 

The dishes you should try when coming to Myeongdong include: pomegranate juice, pork belly wrapped in cabbage, fried crab, mandu, and countless other snacks that you should not miss. Get to Myeongdong by subway line 4 and stop at Myeongdong station.

📍 Address: Jung-gu, Chungmuro 2(i)-ga, 8-3-ga, Seoul, South Korea

 

©Seoulbox

 

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Hopefully, through the above article, you have been able to explore a round of traditional Korean markets in the capital Seoul. Don't hesitate any longer, pack your bags and go to the land of Kim Chi right away to enjoy the cold air, large snow hills and delicious food.

 

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