Namdaemun traditional market

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Namdaemun Market

Top choice in Myeong-dong & Jung-gu


You could spend all day in this swarming night-and-day market and not see it at all. The largest market in Korea, each section has hundreds of stalls, from clothing to handicrafts and accessories. Its market food, though, is the biggest highlight with dozens of stalls selling sujebi (dough and shellfish soup), homemade kalguksu noodles, bibimbap (mixed rice, meat and vegetables) and an alley dedicated to fish dishes. Restaurant Alley has a huge range of Korean food – all with plastic replicas outside to make choosing easy.

The street-level areas are full of knock-off clothing and passable luggage, all at good prices, after some mild haggling. One of the best places in Seoul for Korean souvenirs is the wholesale handicrafts market in the upper floors of Building C and D.

Different sections of the market have different opening hours – wholesalers are open all night and many shops open on Sunday.