Seoul Yangnyeongsi
+ Gyeongdong Market
If you remember Jongno 5-ga as Seoul’s herbal-medicine district, that memory is historically right. Before the 1970s, herbal merchants clustered around Jongno 4–5-ga, then moved collectively to today’s Jegi-dong. The district now works as two markets divided by Gosanja-ro: specialist herbal shopping to the west, everyday traditional-market shopping to the east.
Know this before you go.
10 Yangnyeongjungang-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. About a 5-minute walk from Jegi-dong Station, Line 1, Exit 2.
Generally 09:00–18:00. Regular closing days and hours vary by shop, so check ahead if you are visiting a specific seller.
Some merchants prefer cash or bank transfer to cards, so carry a little cash. Quality varies; for first-time buyers, stores with a longer review history are the safer starting point.
One road, two different shopping missions.
Seoul Yangnyeongsi
The specialist side for medicinal herbs, ginseng and honey. Roughly 1,000 shops operate here. The market is commonly cited as handling about 70% of Korea’s medicinal-herb distribution and around three quarters of Seoul’s ginseng and honey consumption.
Stop here: Seoul Yangnyeongsi Herb Medicine Museum and Seoul K-Medi Center, 26 Yangnyeongjungang-ro.
Gyeongdong Market
One of Korea’s largest traditional markets, with produce, seafood, dried foods and household goods. It is better for seeing everyday Korean grocery shopping than a souvenir-only market.
Break point: Starbucks Gyeongdong 1960, opened in 2022 inside the remodeled former Gyeongdong Theater — useful as both a rest stop and photo spot.
Jegi-dong Exit 2 → browse medicinal herbs and ginseng on the Yangnyeongsi side → stop at the K-Medi Center → cross Gosanja-ro → explore dried foods and produce in Gyeongdong Market → finish at Gyeongdong 1960.