광장시장 Gwangjang Sijang
Seoul
Every line names the page it was read from and the date we opened it.
About the market
Billed as Korea's first permanent market; the market's own history says Joseon merchants founded Gwangjang Co. in July 1905.Source: 광장시장 공식 사이트 (kwangjangmarket.co.kr) · checked 2026-11-01
Opening hours
Market 09:00–18:00, closed Sundays; vintage arcade 10:00–19:00, closed Sundays (open on public holidays); food alley open until 23:00, all year (market notice, as stated).Source: 광장시장 공식 사이트 (kwangjangmarket.co.kr) · checked 2026-11-01
Hours and days off change. Confirm with the market or the city before you go.
Getting there
Jongno 5-ga Station (Line 1) Exit 8; Euljiro 4-ga Station (Lines 2, 5) Exit 4, 100 m (market page).Source: 광장시장 공식 사이트 (kwangjangmarket.co.kr) · checked 2026-11-01
What to eat
- Bindae-tteok (mung-bean pancake, 빈대떡) shops draw crowds in the evening and stay lively late, per the market.Source: 광장시장 공식 사이트 (kwangjangmarket.co.kr) · checked 2026-11-01
- Jeon and buchim (pan-fried pancakes, 전·부침), jokbal (pig's trotters, 족발) and sundae (blood sausage, 순대) fill the alleys, per the market.Source: 광장시장 공식 사이트 (kwangjangmarket.co.kr) · checked 2026-11-01
- Mayak gimbap (small "addictive" gimbap, 마약김밥) is called the market's signature gimbap; the market notes the line can be long.Source: 광장시장 공식 사이트 (kwangjangmarket.co.kr) · checked 2026-11-01
What to see and do
- The most popular section is the food street connected to the East Gate, North Gate 2 and South Gate 1.Source: 한국관광공사 VISITKOREA (english.visitkorea.or.kr) · checked 2026-11-01
What to buy
- Hanbok, bridal (pyebaek) and ceremonial goods for weddings and ancestral rites are sold in many shops.Source: 광장시장 공식 사이트 (kwangjangmarket.co.kr) · checked 2026-11-01
- The imported vintage ("gujae") arcade is described by the market as a paradise of vintage fashion: jeans, leather jackets, shirts, bags, shoes.Source: 광장시장 공식 사이트 (kwangjangmarket.co.kr) · checked 2026-11-01
Local specialties
- Listed by KTO: silk, dress material, fashion apparel, agricultural and fishery goods, bedding, handicrafts, mother-of-pearl lacquerware.Source: 한국관광공사 VISITKOREA (english.visitkorea.or.kr) · checked 2026-11-01
Register facts
광장시장
Address in Korean — show it to a taxi driver
서울특별시 종로구 창경궁로 88
Open every day
1,300 stalls registered · Public restroom: Yes · Parking: Yes · Opened 1905