Namdaemun Market
남대문시장
Why go
Seoul's signature traditional market, which began in 1414 and has carried on for 600 years. More than 10,000 shops sell over 1,700 kinds of goods, from clothes, glasses and kitchenware to souvenirs, and its alleys of braised hairtail and knife-cut noodles are counted among the market's best eats.
23.9%Share of foreign travelers to Seoul who visited Namdaemun and Namdaemun Market — 2025 Seoul Tourism Survey (foreign visitors), places visited, multiple answers allowed
Highlights
History
Namdaemun Market (南大門市場) takes its name from its location near Namdaemun, that is, Sungnyemun Gate. The market is considered to have started in 1414 (the 14th year of King Taejong's reign), when the state rented out stalls to a number of merchants. In 1608, when the Seonhyecheong, the government office in charge of tax rice and other levies, was set up in what is now Namchang-dong, regional specialties began to be traded here too. In the 18th century, Chilpae Market was the center of Seoul's commerce.
In 1897 it became the first modern permanent market. It came back after Japanese colonial rule, the Korean War (6·25) and fires in 1954, 1968 and 1977. In 1964 building owners and merchants together founded a company to run it, and in 2014 the market marked its 600th anniversary.
More than 10,000 shops stand on about 20,000 pyeong of land, and 300,000 people come every day (operator's count, about 10,000 of them foreigners). Shops sell both wholesale and retail, so Korean traders and foreign shoppers mix. Inside, the market is divided into alleys by product, such as children's clothing, women's clothing, glasses, cameras and tourist souvenirs.
Getting there
Where next
Photos
Tips
- Each shop keeps its own hours. The market has no parking lot, so come by public transport.
- If you arrive at Seoul Station by KTX, Namdaemun is a 5-minute walk away.
- A lounge just for foreign visitors is on the 3rd floor of the Dongwoo Building in the Gate 2 alley (next to IBK Industrial Bank). From 10:00 to 19:00 it offers market information and Wi-Fi, and hanbok try-ons and refreshments are free (closed on the days of Seollal and Chuseok).
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- 서울특별시 중구 남대문시장4길 21