Top 10 most crowded markets in Korea

1

Tongin Market (Seoul)

After the Korean War ended, the Seochon area near Gyeongbokgung Palace grew rapidly in both economy and population, with more and more small businesses and shops appearing and trading. These small businesses and shops in this area have come together and developed into the busiest market today, Tongin Market. Currently, the market has nearly a hundred long-standing small businesses operating, trading continuously so far, mainly food items or fast food stalls. What makes Tongin Market different and attractive compared to other markets is Dosirak Café. At Dosirak Café, you can buy a lunch tray and 10 yeopjeon (copper coins; old Korean currency) for 5,000 won. Here, you can experience the feeling of "through history" when all items are traded, exchanged with Yeopjeon ancient coins. Dosirak Café will be closed on Mondays and on the third Sunday of the month. The area around the market is famous sites such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwanghwamun Gateway, and Samcheongdong-gil Road. Therefore, the movement is extremely simple and convenient for visitors' visits. 

Address: 18, Jahamun-ro 15-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Business hours: Tuesday - Sunday 11:00-17:00 (yeopjeon buying time closes at 16:00)

Closed on the third Monday and Sunday of every month

2

Gwangjang Market (Seoul)

Gwangjang Market was one of the first markets built in Korea. The campus and scale of the market are also rated the largest in Seoul with an area of 42,000 square meters with more than 5,000 shops and 20,000 employees working. The first impression when mentioning the name of the market, Koreans often think of is the food. Stretching along the market are delicious and eye-catching food stalls. Each stall in the market has its own flavor, very unique. Every night at Gwangjang Market is filled with lines of people waiting to enjoy the food. The most popular dishes sold here are mung bean pancakes (Bindaetteok) and rice rolls (Gimbap).

Address: 88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

3

Namdaemun Market (Seoul)

Namdaemun is a traditional market with a long history of more than 600 years. There are more than 1,700 types of goods and main items traded here at extremely reasonable prices, mostly pottery, clothing, accessories, kitchen utensils and regional specialties from all over Korea. It is also the best known place to hunt for traditional crafts, sunglasses and exotic sunglasses. In particular, Namdaemun Market is famous for its food court that has many delicious dishes such as guksu (noodles), jokbal (pork legs), and galchi jorim (fish stock). The market's location is also close to popular tourist sites such as Myeong-dong, Deoksugung Palace and Gwanghwamun Gateway,... When traveling to Korea, do not forget to visit this interesting address.

Address: 21 Namdaemunsijang 4-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

4

Noryangjin Fish Market (Seoul)

Noryangjin Seafood Wholesale Market is Korea's largest wholesale seaware market with a history of more than 90 years. Recently, facilities in the market have been built and renovated, providing a clean environment when buying and selling and processing fresh seafood. The market operates continuously 24 hours a day, every day it receives thousands of visitors to visit as well as shop. At dawn, small traders in the market often open auctions of fish as well as precious seafood lines, in the evening, the market is filled with visitors looking to buy fresh seafood. A unique experience only available at Noryangjin seafood wholesale market that visitors cannot miss, is to enjoy purchased seafood cooked directly at the market. After haggling for the purchase price, visitors can ask the shop owner to preliminarily process and cook seafood into dishes and enjoy it right in the store. The market is connected to Noryangjin Station (Seoul Underground Railway Lines 1 and 9), which can also be reached by train. 

Address: 674 Nodeul-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul

5

Myeongdong Market (Seoul)

Myeongdong is one of the top expensive shopping districts in Korea. Here you will find a wide range of retail stores, shopping malls and independent shops, along with many restaurants and cafes, world famous fashion brands. Popular shopping malls located in Myeongdong Market include Lotte Department Store, Lotte Young Plaza and Noon Square Shopping Mall. M Plaza houses the Seoul Tourism and Culture Center and a performance theater where you can enjoy live concerts and cultural events.

Myeongdong Market isn't just a place to shop for fashion and designer goods - it's also one of the best areas in Seoul to enjoy traditional Korean specialties. Street stalls serve fish balls, Tteokbokki (rice cakes with stir-fried vegetables with sweet red chili sauce), spicy Korean fried chicken and Bulgogi (grilled beef) with delicious taste and reasonable prices. In addition, when coming to Myeongdong Market you also have the opportunity to visit special sites such as the Gothic Myeongdong Catholic Church and Namdaemun Market, a traditional street market that is more than 600 years old. You can also visit the Myeongdong Theater, which is the first venue in Korea to host the world famous play Nanta.

Address: Myeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea