Seoul Gwangjang Market, Korea
Located along Jongno 5-ga, Yeji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, it is the largest traditional market in Seoul and the first traditional trading market in Korea.
Kwangjang Co., Ltd., the operating entity of the company, was established in 1904 and is also one of the oldest companies in Korea. It operates from 09:00-18:00 daily.
There is an entrance right in front of Exit 8 of Jongno 5-ga Station on Line 1, so accessibility is good. In addition, the modernization of facilities such as arcades has been completed, so the moving conditions are better compared to other markets (although compared to other markets). There are Pomok Store and Bowl Store at the entrance, and when you enter the inner intersection, the famous'Food Alley' begins. Bindae-teok, banquet noodles, meat pancakes, yukhoe, and Daegu soup restaurants are famous. In particular, despite being introduced to the media quite a lot and becoming a name, it is gaining great popularity in 2019 for its enormous cost-performance ratio of 10,000 won (3 people eat enough). It is also the birthplace of little gimbap, which has the name drug gimbap. Although the ingredients in Kimbap are simple, it boasts an addictive taste due to the exquisite harmony of its unique texture and dipping sauce.
A food that has been nicknamed “knowledge drug kimbap” long before the appearance of slang words such as medicine. However, these days, most stores in the market sell similarly shaped drug gimbap, and the first time you go, you will eat similarly shaped gimbap with a high probability, and it is difficult to eat the original drug gimbap. In fact, the most famous center of the market is a crowd of tourists on weekdays as well as on weekends.
On holidays, it's so crowded that you can't go forward with a little extra. In addition, as the specialty of Gwangjang Market is Bindaetteok, unlike other markets, when it rains, people tend to crowd the food alley. The most famous store is enough to wait in line even if you visit at any time. There are also cars parked around it, creating a scene where the narrow streets around Cheonggyecheon burst tightly. If you come to buy bulky or heavy items, you should bring a car, but if you come lightly, use the subway as much as possible. It's still a complex Jongno 5-ga, and if you bring a car, you will experience the peak of your blood pressure.
