10 traditional Korean markets you’ve never heard of
Fusing culinary tradition and heritage, few places offer such a raw glimpse of local Korean life than its traditional markets. Here are 10 you need to visit…
Plastic buckets filled with curious sea creatures, piles of wobbly acorn jelly, a rainbow of locally grown vegetables, some familiar, others novel, and intricate traditional clothing are just a handful of the wonders on display at South Korea’s traditional markets. Throughout the country, markets are the optimum place to witness daily local life at its most enigmatic, while discovering local delicacies and flavours.
1. Seoul Folk Flea Market
East of Dongdaemun, along Cheonggyecheon stream, is Seoul Folk Flea Market, a bric-a-brac oasis, which opens from Wed-Mon in a jumbled array of overlapping stalls. You’ll dig up everything from musical instruments and boomboxes from the 1980s to traditional rice milling machinery and buncheong ceramics in this bizarre and eclectic conglomeration of stuff. To create a sense of order, the market is separated into seven colour-coded zones, to help you locate specific Korean folk crafts such as antiques (green) and vintage clothes (orange). If you plan on walking here from Dongdaemun, stop by Hwanghakdong Flea Market and Dongmyo Flea Markets en-route, which form just part of the tangled mass of marketplace commerce flowing out from its Dongdaemun spring.
2. Seomun Market, Daegu
Seomun (aka West Gate) Market is one of South Korea’s oldest, with roots in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Indeed, Seomun refers to the nearby west gate of Daegu Castle, which was torn down between 1907-9 during the Japanese occupation. Today it is best known for its weekend night market, where popular street foods such as tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) and kalguksu (noodle soup) are ladled out of steaming vats. Amid the thousands of stalls at this market, you’ll discover all sorts of homewares, from porcelain tableware to silk, the latter being an important component in making traditional hanbok clothing.
3. Sinpo International Market, Incheon
When Incheon’s international port opened in 1883, traders from foreign lands such as China and Japan soon arrived. Many settled in the area. Sinpo International Market was established soon after, catering to the tastes of Incheon’s growing coterie of domestic and foreign residents. The market’s emphasis today remains on fresh produce and various stalls dish up steaming bowls of Korean-Chinese dishes such as jjajangmyeon (noodles topped with diced pork and onions in a sweet, dark sauce), and mandu (dumplings). Although it’s the dakgangjeong, a sweet, crispy and spicy take on fried chicken, that draws the biggest crowds. There’s also a good tourist information desk here offering translation services alongside shopping and trade assistance.
4. Yangdong Traditional Market, Gwangju
Known as ‘Gwangju’s kitchen’, Yangdong Traditional Market is packed to the rafters with local produce, arrayed in tiers at stalls which spill riots of colour out into the wide walkways, including cabbage whites and greens, jujube fruit reds and ginseng beiges. Despite being located inland, as Jeollanam-do province’s largest market there is a huge seafood section here. Look out for the triangular skate fish, dried and fermented, which is a regional specialty. This market, held on days of the month ending in 2 or 7, even holds a place in history as a key gathering spot for the May 18th Gwangju Uprising of 1980, which called for democracy in a South Korea ruled by military dictatorship at the time.
5. Nammun Rodeo Market, Suwon
Just one of a cluster of nine specialist markets sprawling South and West of Suwon’s Paldalmun (aka Nammun) Gate, Nammun Rodeo Market transcends expectations of what a marketplace can be by blending art and culture into the traditional commercial space. As with all of Korea’s top markets, you can sample regional tastes, such as hodugwaja, a walnut and red bean paste cookie, but at Nammun Rodeo, you can do so while watching music and dance performances by the K-pop stars of tomorrow at Rodeo Art Hall. Nearby, Rodeo Street Gallery highlights works by local artists.
6. Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market
Lines of squid hung out to dry in the sun and pools of giant scallops denote Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market, which provides a unique look at the bounty found beneath Korea’s waves. Located beside the East Sea, this region is among the most revered in South Korea for its fishing heritage. But if you’re not keen on haggling over the latest catch, head to Sokcho Tourist & Fishery (formerly Jungang) Market’s plethora of eateries, where these fresh ingredients are transformed into appealing dishes serves with tasty banchan (side dishes, such as kimchi).
7. Danyang Gugyeong Traditional Market
Remote Danyang is surrounded by the wild rivers and forested mountains of Chungcheongbuk-do province in South Korea’s interior. While visitors come to hike or paraglide over the region’s scenic peaks, Danyang Gugyeong Traditional Market is a must-see stop on any itinerary in the area, particularly for those keen to try the local cuisine. With locally grown garlic at their core, dishes such as dakgangjeong, a crispy chicken dish deep-fried with black garlic, garlic pancakes, garlic noodles and garlic dumplings are ubiquitous. Just don’t forget to bring the breath mints.
8. Suncheon Utjang
When it comes to Korean food, you’ll see the words guk (soup) and bap (rice) bandied about very often in Korea. Gukbap is, therefore, the self-explanatory dish that was frequently prescribed as a healthy dish during the Joseon Dynasty. Suncheon’s annual Gukbap (September) and Namdo Food (May) festivals make the southern city a culinary focal point for it. Throughout the year, gukbap and other fine dishes are served at the unassuming eateries and hole-in-the-wall purveyors at Suncheon Utjang market. Among the various stalls and vendors selling everything from fruit and vegetables to steamed beondegi (silk worm pupae), there’s an entire row of gukbap restaurants.
9. Andong Gu Market
Surrounding the historic city of Andong are a handful of historic traditional folk villages (Hahoe being one example), which were bequeathed importance because of their role in once administering the affairs of the Joseon Dynasty. Similarly, Andong Gu Market’s history dates to the early 19th century and still retains the atmosphere of a traditional Korean market. Each autumn, you can catch the Andong Mask Dance Festival’s performances nearby. The market itself specialises in the latest fashions and traditional foods, particularly Andong jjimdak, a chicken and vegetable stew served with dangmyeon (glass noodles).
10. Jungang and Nongae Markets, Jinju
Jinju’s market zone is a vast sprawl of halls and covered alleys teeming with activity. Encompassing two original markets: Jungang and Nongae, you’ll find exceptional Korean food at bargain prices throughout. During the day, each alley corrals vendors dedicated to serving certain types of dish, such as Noodle Road, although save space for regional sweets such as kkulppang, a sticky, slightly crunchy honey bread filled with red bean paste. The atmosphere reaches its liveliest on Saturday evenings, when Olppam Night Market’s anju (food typically designed to be served with alcohol such as Korean fried chicken) offerings pair perfectly with Jinju Jinmaek, a popular local craft beer.
