Gwangjang Market
Part grocery market, part eat-it-now experience. Founded in 1905 and described by Seoul as Korea's first permanent market, it is where textiles, everyday shopping and street food overlap.
Know this first.
88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu. Closest: Jongno 5-ga Station, Line 1, Exit 8. Euljiro 4-ga Station, Lines 2 & 5, Exit 4 is also walkable.
Seoul's current listing: main market Mon–Sat 09:00–18:00; food alley daily 09:00–23:00; vintage area Mon–Sat 10:00–19:00. Individual shops vary.
Weekday mornings are generally easier for browsing than lunch, dinner or weekends. Arrive before the meal rush if you want time to compare stalls.
What to eat.
Wonjo Soonheene Bindaetteok and Bakgane Bindaetteok are well-known references for mung-bean pancakes.
Mini gimbap appears across several stalls, including around North Gate 2. Because “original” claims vary, Krootin does not label one stall as the single definitive origin.
Buchon Yukhoe has a verified MICHELIN Guide Bib Gourmand listing history. Kalguksu, fish-cake soup, tteokbokki and glutinous-rice twisted doughnuts are also staples.
In April 2026 a Myanmar-born YouTuber was charged KRW 2,000 for a 500 ml bottle of water, reigniting public debate. Seoul and Jongno authorities later inspected pricing and sales practices. That does not mean every vendor is problematic; the practical move is to confirm the displayed price, exact item and portion before you say yes.
It is not only a food market.
Silk, hanbok fabric, bedding and tailoring remain a historic core, alongside handicrafts, lacquerware, kitchen goods and dried foods.
Merchant-association commentary reported in Korean media credits the 2019 Netflix Street Food Seoul episode with boosting global awareness. A Starbucks opened inside the market in May 2025 as more tourist-oriented brands arrived.
Some visitor/store-count figures circulate only through non-official compilations, so Krootin labels those as unofficial rather than fixed facts.