Namdaemun Market

Namdaemun Market is Korea's first permanent marketplace, established in 1414 during the Joseon Dynasty — over 600 years of history. With roughly 10,000 shops packed into this district, it's Korea's largest general market selling everything: clothing, accessories, kitchenware, glasses, ginseng, seaweed, cosmetics, and more. As a wholesale-oriented market, prices are lower than retail. Eyeglasses, children's clothing, and kitchen goods offer particularly good value. Many vendors give additional discounts for cash payments, so bring won bills. For food, the galchi-jorim (braised cutlassfish) alley is the famous draw — a row of restaurants serving this Jeju-origin dish for 10,000-15,000 KRW per person. Kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), mandu (dumplings), and hotteok are also cheap and filling. It's a 10-minute walk from both Myeongdong and Seoul Station, making it easy to fit into any sightseeing route.