GUIDE TO NAMDAEMUN MARKET IN SEOUL
WHAT TO DO IN NAMDAEMUN MARKET? IS NAMDAEMUN MARKET WORTH A VISIT? WHAT TO BUY IN NAMDAEMUN MARKET?
Namdaemun is Korea’s largest and oldest market. It is a fantastic place to discover in Seoul.
A visit to Namdaemun is a must while in South Korea. It is considered as a National Treasure. Covering more than 66 hectares and with more than 10,000 stores and stalls, Namdaemun Market plays an important role in determining Seoul’s consumer price.
Namdaemun is the largest market in Seoul!
Namdaemun Market handles more than 1,700 different types of goods, including everyday consumer goods such as clothing, kitchenware, stationeries, flowers, accessories, food, seafood, and agricultural products as well as household items. folk art, local products, and imported goods. It is said in Seoul. “There is nothing you cannot find in Namdaemun”.
If you are visiting Seoul, Namdaemun is a great place to buy souvenirs. It is also a great place to eat delicious Korean traditional food.
Here are some first impressions of Namdaemun in Seoul:
About Namdaemun Market in Seoul
Namdaemun market dates back to 1414. However, in 1608 it started to become an important place in Korea thanks to King Seonjo.
He had a tribute office built there to monitor transactions and levy taxes in the form of rice, clothes, and money. The market was flourishing and transactions focused on grains, fish, fruit, and other consumer goods.
It was destroyed during the Korean War and several misfortunes struck the attempts at reconstruction. Finally, in 2007, reconstruction resumed and the market started again full activity.
It’s a typical, very pleasant place; it’s great to spend a few hours there, strolling through the small alleys and observing so many unusual things. Namdaemun is a place that contrasts with the city’s modern skyscrapers.
How to get to Namdaemun market?
Address:
21, Namdaemunsijang 4-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul-si
By subway:
Take Line 4 and at Hoehyeon Station, this would be the easiest way to get to Namdaemun.
By bus:
There are many buses going to Namdaemun market depending on where you stay in Seoul. Simply enter the destination in the Naver Map or Kakao Map to get the fastest bus going there.
Opening Hours:
For wholesalers, the stores are open from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., and for the general public, the retail stores are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Merchants from across the country come to the market at 3 a.m. to do their business.
For more information, check out the Namdaemun Market’s official website (English) here.
Different Zones:
The shops at Namdaemun Market are organized into zones. Most of the time, each building sells different items; for example, the textile district and the clothing district are all divided into different zones.
If you’re not sure which way to go, you can ask at the Information Center. It’s easy to find, and they can help you navigate the market! The staff at the Center speaks English, so you don’t have to worry about your Korean skills!
What to do and see in Namdaemun Market?
1. Shopping
Namdaemun Market sells pretty much everything! For tourists, it is a great place to buy souvenirs or Korean products.
Most items there are around 10-20% cheaper than in other markets because in Namdaemun, the shops often make their products by themselves. It is, therefore, easy to negotiate the price down. Although the price is lower, the quality remains excellent.
Namdaemun Market is a particularly popular place to find clothing, especially a variety of fabrics and children’s clothing. There’s also a wide selection of handicrafts, food, shoes, and over 1,700 other types of products. We truly believe you’ll be able to find something here, and we recommend coming here to buy souvenirs for your friends and family back home.
Over 3,000 to 4,000 foreigners visit Namdaemun market every day.
2. Try some Local food
If you visit Namdaemun market, it’s a good idea to go there before lunch. There are so many local restaurants, food stalls, and street food at every corner of the market. And the food there is usually very cheap and super delicious!
You’ll want to enjoy foods like gimbap, which is seaweed filled with rice. Other market stalls include fried dumplings, Korean tempura, rice cakes, rice dumplings, pan-fried pancakes, cracker bread, red bean paste toast, and steamed buns.
What to eat?
Hotteok:
If you exit Exit 2 of the Namdaemun Underground Mall and walk about 300 meters, you can find Hotteok, located across from IBK Bank.
Hotteok is a Korean-style pancake, usually topped with brown sugar and nuts. However, at Namdaemun Market, you can try a variety of different flavors, such as vegetable Hotteok.
Hotteok is usually associated with a sweet treat, so many people like to come here to try the unique savory version!
Another popular option here is Hotteok Japchae, which is hotteok filled with Japchae. Japchae is a traditional Korean dish made with glass noodles and vegetables. This is another interesting hotteok flavor that you can probably only get at Hotteok in Namdaemun Market, so we highly recommend coming here and trying them!
Kalguksu Alley (칼국수 골목) – Our Favorite!
Kalguksu Alley, located in Namdaemun Market, is an alleyway filled with many different stalls where you can buy and enjoy Kalguksu.
Since the alleyway is filled with so many vendors all selling the same dish (Kalguksu), it can become overwhelming and confusing to know where to go and what to do. However, all the stalls are the same store, so all you have to do is choose a seat and order!
At Kalguksu Alley, the food is very cheap. You can get a large quantity of food at a very low price. When you order Kalguksu, you’ll also receive soybean soup, rice, kimchi, and other vegetable side dishes! Super yummy!
Swordfish Alley (갈치골목)
Namdemun Swordfish Alley, also known as Galchi Alley, is located next to Kalguksu Alley. You can enjoy grilled swordfish and swordfish soup here.
Many swordfish dishes in Korea are seasoned and spiced to add flavor. If you don’t like spicy dishes, we suggest trying grilled or fried swordfish instead!
We tried both the fried and soup-based dishes. Each cost only 10,000 KRW per dish, which we found to be a steal considering the amount of food you received. We were really impressed with the food, the fried fish was perfectly seasoned, it wasn’t greasy at all and was crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside.
Eomukkochi (어물꼬치)
Eomuk is a type of fish cake that’s a little different from the Hot Bar we mentioned earlier. It’s one of the most famous fish cakes in Busan, however, Namdaemun Market is also home to a very delicious eomuk stand! This place has preserved the authentic Busan recipe and incorporated it into their eomuk.
Eomuk is a hot dish that’s often sold with hot soup, making it the perfect snack for cold winter days. At Busan Eomuk, you can get a stick of eomuk for around 1,000 KRW.
3. Visit Namdaemun (남대문) Gate also called Sungnyemun (숭례문) Gate
In fact, “mun” means door or gate in Korean. Seoul City Wall has 8 gates. This is the South Gate, Namdaemun in Korean, but Sungnyemun is its real name, which means “Gate of High Ceremonies”.
In short, this gate was built in 1398 and was the main gate of Seoul. It has been damaged, renovated, destroyed, and rebuilt several times, especially in 2008, when it was almost completely destroyed following a fire attack by a 69-year-old arsonist who had already attacked Changyeonggung Palace. Its reconstruction took 3 years and cost more than 14 million euros.
Namdaemun Gate is nice. It stands out in the middle of the city surrounded by roads and modern buildings. It is a great contrast between tradition and modernity.
4. Namdaemun Flower Market
For those looking for a place to stroll around Namdaemun Market outside the main market area, we suggest heading to the nearby flower market. You can find many types of beautiful flowers at very affordable prices.
In addition to flowers, you can also purchase accessories to arrange beautiful bouquets!
Address: 서울 중구 남대문시장 4길 E 3층
3F, 21E, Namdaemunsijang 4-gil, Hoehyon-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul
Where to stay near Namdaemun market?
Namdaemun is centrally located in Seoul. Hence, staying near the market is not a bad idea.
We especially like Courtyard by Marriot Seoul Namdaemun, which is a very nice hotel. From the hotel, you can easily access Myeongdong, one of the main shopping districts in Seoul.
Other things to do near Namdaemun Market?
1. Insadong
Insadong is one of our favorite neighborhoods in Seoul,. If you travel to South Korea, visiting Insadong is a must.
It is located just a few bus stops or subway stations from Namdaemun.
Insadong is an important place where old traditional and precious objects are exposed. The district is composed of a main street, Insadong-gil, which connects many alleys with Hanok (traditional Korean houses), where many galleries, restaurants, cafes, and traditional tea rooms are located.
>> READ: FULL GUIDE ABOUT INSADONG IN SEOUL
2. Ikseon-Dong
Ikseon-Dong is a district slightly east of Insadong. It’s a neighborhood with the cutest little alleys with many Hanoks, trendy boutiques, amazing cafes, and great restaurants.
Some call Ikseon-Dong the hipster place of Seoul. It is certainly one of the trendiest and most up-and-coming neighborhoods in Seoul. We simply love it!
>> READ: IKSEON-DONG, THE CUTEST DISTRICT IN SEOUL
3. Namsangol Hanok Village
Namsangol Hanok village is located in the north side of Namsan in Seoul. It is the perfect place to discover more about the history of the Joseon period. Namsangol is famous for its preservation of Hanoks. These are traditional Korean houses.
Five of these Hanoks in Namsangol were located in separate villages and then later brought back together to form the Namsangol in 1998. The objective was to develop the Namsangol Hanok village as a cultural garden in the middle of Seoul. It shows the lifestyles of Koreans in ancient times from farmers to kings.
>> READ: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NAMSANGOL IN SEOUL
In conclusion – Is Namdaemun Market worth a visit?
Although we never bought anything in Namdaemun Market, we always had fun walking through the alleys and looking at the different stores.
We definitely recommend a visit to Namdaemun market if you are in Seoul. You will enjoy it.
We hope you can enjoy delicious Korean street food and buy fun souvenirs for your friends and family back home in Namdaemun. If you have any questions or concerns, please leave a comment below.
We lived in Seoul for 3 years and loved exploring all these beautiful places in Korea. We wrote many posts about Korea, you can find them all here.
HAPPY TRAVELING!
Photo credit: © Seoul Metropolitan Government/Penta Press
