Best Seoul Eats at One Stop Gwangjang Market
If you go to just one market in Seoul, Korea, make it Gwangjang Market.
Gwangjang Market is renown for its fresh market foods. Featured traditional Korean food worth sampling include bindaetteok, mayak kimbap, soondae, pigs’ feet, bibimbap, and lots more, all complimented by a bottle of makgeolli or soju.
Bindaetteok 빈대떡 – Korean Pancakes (not spicy)
Yes, I came to Gwangjang Market for the Bindaetteok, and it was so worth it! Sometimes I feel like the journey to Seoul was worth it just to savour the tasty Bindaetteok.
Kimchi Mandu 만두 – Steamed dumplings of meat and kimchi

Soondae 순대 – Korean version of blood sausages

Odeng 오뎅 – Fish cakes on a skewers eomuk (어묵)

Friendly Atmosphere at Gwangjang Market
Gwangjang Market is welcoming. I don’t know if it’s just Korean friendliness, or the joy and pride in what they do, but this is one public market that is welcoming. Watching the crowds, whether it’s the gathering of friends, families or total strangers squeezed side by side in their favourite food stall, the overall atmosphere of the market is lively and friendly. In my case, I arrived alone and obviously not Korean, but was greeted into conversations with both shop owners, and other diners around the table, even with offers to share their makgeolli or soju.
Gwangjang Market is a Fun and Unique Travel Destination
Korean workers crowd the market all year round to sit at the benches lining each of the food stalls.
Gwangjang Market in the heart and soul of the Seoul
The Gwangjang Market established in 1905, and is Korea’s oldest remaining daily market. It is considered an outdoor market but is enjoyable all year round thanks to the glass roof to protect the stalls from rain and snow, and the steady heat from cooking.
About Gwangjang Market
The Gwangjang Market offers a huge range of items for shoppers, from clothing to cookware and household tools and machinery, The second floor of Gwangjang Market carries silk, satin, and linen bed-sheet stores, which are the largest and most famous in Seoul.
Many of the stores in the area even have their own factories supplying fabrics to the Namdaemun Market, Pyoung Hwa Market, and even to some department stores. The wide selection of high quality textiles at inexpensive prices makes it a fun bespoke clothing shopping experience.
The food stands are open seven days a week, usually from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. However, the clothing and fabric stores are closed Sundays.
Watch out for the indoor motorbikes delivering goods! Gwangjang is a thriving market.
Getting there. Walkable Seoul
If you’re staying downtown, it’s fun and easy to walk along the serene Cheonggyecheon Stream to Gwangjang Market. Gwangjang Market, is named for and is between the Gwanggyo and Janggyo Bridges along the Cheonggyecheon Stream. An estimate of 65,000 people visits the market every day. The market is also easily reachable by Metro from exits 7 and 8 of Jongno 5-ga Station. You can visit the official website for the market.
See Cheonggyecheon is an almost 6 kilometre stream that flows through downtown Seoul.
Enjoy 광장시장!