I recall watching a Youtube video by SweetandtastyTV when I first heard about Gwangjang Market (광장시장), and I remember thinking to myself: “FOOOOOD?! Let’s go!”
And so, it was without a doubt in my mind, that when I came to Seoul I had to wander down to Gwangjang Market. I was so excited to see the different kinds of food that were being offered and also excited to immerse myself in the hustle-and-bustle atmosphere of a Korean market.
So, first thing’s first, there are two “main” sections to this market:
- Where food is being made and sold
- Where items are being sold (such as dried goods, sweets, linens, silks, etc.)
Being who I am, I naturally drifted towards the food section.
I am quite surprised with myself though, because I actually didn’t end up eating anything there! It was one of those days where my stomach just wasn’t cooperating with me, and I knew that if I ate anything that was too oily or too spicy, I might be in for a disaster – and when you’re traveling and on vacation, you don’t want that to happen (tmi?). So I just opted to wandering up and down the rows in Gwangjang Market and enjoying the food from afar.
Now, the one thing that excited me the most about the food portion of Gwangjang market was the huge row of stores dedicated to Bibimbap!
Bibimbap here, Bibimbap there, Bibimbap everywhere!
I think if I ever come back to Seoul, I’ll definitely have to come back to try some of the food that’s being made here – especially the Bibimbap!
More information for visiting
Hours of operation
The clothing stores are open from 9:00pm – 10:00am (the next day)
General stores are open from 8:30am – 6:00pm
Restaurants are open from 8:30am – 11:00pm
Can my wallet afford this?
Depends on how much you spend on food and other things! I personally didn’t use any money at Gwangjang market and just walked around and explored a bit, taking in the amazing atmosphere of a Korean market.
How do I get there?
You can take the subway to Jongno 5-ga Station (Exit 8) or to Euljiro 4-ga Station (Exit 4).
For more information, please check out Visit Korea’s page!
For more on my Korean adventures, click here.
xx
I love to indulge in some of the local cuisine of the countries I’m fortunate to visit. “Bibimbap” sounds interesting.
What would you say has been the most interesting food you have tried? And Bibimbap is so delicious! I hope you get the chance to try it one day!
Hmmmm the most interesting food I’ve ever tried was fried squid. It was not as bad as I thought it might have been.