If you are a lover of local street food and trying new tastes, then you must not miss the Gwangjang (Kwangjang) Market, formerly known as Dongdaemun, which you can find right in the centre of Seoul.

With over 5,000 stalls, Gwangjang is the largest market in South Korea and if you really love food, you'll spend hours here. The entire market is covered and covers an area of more than 42,000 square meters.

What to taste in Gwangjang?

You can get clothes, furniture and souvenirs at the market, but the main attraction is the numerous stalls selling freshly prepared food. This is where you'll get the best insight into the secrets of Korean street food. Walk through the market from one end to the other, see who's selling what, and then get to tasting Korean specialties.

Some of the most popular dishes in Gwangjang include gimbap (a sort of sushi) in dozens of ways, bindae-tteok ( mung bean pancakes) or a host of fish specialties. There are also sweets, fruit and vegetables.

The food is usually served on a tray with toothpicks. Traditional chopsticks would be a bit impractical for street food.

Admission and opening hours

Admission to the market is, of course, free. The food is not expensive and a single serving works out at between 3 000 krw and 8 000 krw.

It is open daily from 9am-11pm.

Transportation to Gwangjang

The market is located practically right in the centre of Seoul and is very accessible by public transport.

Subway - Jongno station 5-ga blue line 1 (use exit 7 or 8) and Euljiro station 4-ga green line 2 + purple line 5 (use exit 4)
Buses - lines 100, 101, 103, 104, 106, 140, 143, 150, 160, 201, 260, 262, 270, 271, 273, 370, 720, 721, 7212