Tongin Market
Yeopjeon Lunchbox
This is the exact “exchange money for old-style tokens, then buy food around the market” experience. Tongin began in 1941 and today has more than 70 food and grocery shops; the token lunchbox café is its signature visitor activity.
Time it correctly.
18 Jahamun-ro 15-gil, Jongno-gu. Visit Seoul's May 2026 update lists Gyeongbokgung Station, Line 3, Exit 2, about 515 m away.
General market hours are 07:00–21:00, varying by shop. The market closes on the third Sunday of each month.
Wed–Mon 11:00–15:00, with Sat–Sun until 16:00. Closed every Tuesday and the third Sunday. Think lunch to early afternoon, not dinner.
How the yeopjeon lunchbox works.
Buy yeopjeon at the customer center/lunchbox café and receive an empty lunchbox. Multiple Seoul tourism guides consistently use KRW 500 per token and 10 tokens for KRW 5,000 as the standard example. Prices and payment procedures can change, so follow the live counter signage on the day.
Look for participating-stall signs and fill the box with small portions such as oil tteokbokki, tteokgalbi, gimbap and banchan, priced in token counts.
Eat in the customer-center café seating on the upper floors. On-site guidance has included water, utensils and a microwave. Follow the current counter process for any remaining-token refund or card reversal.
Tongin makes more sense as a Seochon lunch activity than a bulk grocery haul. Pair Gyeongbokgung → Seochon lanes → Tongin Market. Some non-participating stalls may not take tokens, so a little cash is still useful.
Why Tongin and Seochon matter.
The market opened in June 1941, evolved after the Korean War, and went through later revitalization projects. Current Visit Seoul material dates the yeopjeon lunchbox program to January 2012; it is safest to describe the 2011 revitalization work as the lead-in rather than the confirmed launch date.
“Seochon” means the village west of Gyeongbokgung, between the palace and Inwangsan. Compared with more heavily commercialized Bukchon, its low-rise hanok lanes still feel more residential. The area is tied to King Sejong, the former Changuigung site, and artists and writers including Jeong Seon and Yun Dong-ju.