Market shopping in South Korea
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A
Seoul Folk Flea Market
Relocated to a new two-storey building that already looks worn, the 1st-floor stalls at the back have a fascinating collection of artworks, collectables and general bric-a-brac. You could root through this lot for hours hunting for hidden treasures – wooden masks and ink drawings, vintage golf clubs, battered trumpets, elephant-shaped teapots, Beatles LPs, valve radio… Follow the signs from the subway station exit, it’s only a few minutes’ walk.
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B
Namdaemun Market
You could spend all day in this awesome night-and-day market and not see it at all. Each section has hundreds of stalls. The market specialises in cheaper-range clothing and accessories for all ages and styles, but you can find anything under the sun here – from food and flowers to spectacles and seaweed. The seaweed may be natural or factory-made, and these days can be flavoured with wasabi, kimchi, green tea or even chocolate. Different sections of the market have different opening hours – wholesalers are open all night and many shops open on Sunday. Alpha has two floors of toys and two floors of stationery. Samho has a jaw-dropping amount of fashion jewellery…
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C
Gyeongdong Market
You could spend hours exploring the biggest and best Asian medicine market in Korea. All the leaves, herbs, roots, flowers and mushrooms piled up in the shops and stalls are medicinal. Bark is sold to be made into soup, and jine is a long millipede that is boiled to make a soup or else eaten dry – it is said to be good for backaches, and a handful costs W12,000. Hwang-gi is a white root that is mixed with rice and is supposed to prevent sweating. Omija, both dried and undried, are tiny red berries that are soaked in boiling water overnight to produce a delicious ‘five flavour’ tea. Rose petals and chrysanthemum flowers are also made into tea. The tiny dried nashis are…
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D
Dongdaemun Market
Where to begin in this colossal market? Many shoppers start at Doota Mall, a leading fashion icon full to the brim with domestic brands. Besides floors dedicated to adult clothing, it has a floor of accessory shops, a bag and shoes floor, a children’s floor, a brand-name floor and a food-court floor. Migliore Mall is another fashion mall next door. Others in this area also have cinemas and saunas. The multistorey Dongdaemun Shopping Complex has an unbelievable range of fabrics and trimmings of every conceivable kind. Other parts of the market specialise in shoes, pets (some are shockingly overcrowded in their cages) and street stalls. Soccer shirts are in the Euljiro…
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Daegu's Herbal Medicine Market
This market, west of the central shopping district, has a history as vast as its scope. It dates from 1658, making it Korea's oldest and still one of its largest. Begin at the Yangnyeong Exhibition Hall, for an introduction to insam (ginseng), reindeer horns and the people who popularised them - there's usually someone who speaks English at the tourist booth outside who'll show you around.
Head out to the street to stock up on everything from lizard's tails to magic mushrooms (the latter with a prescription, of course); you might also catch a glimpse of someone receiving acupuncture. On the days ending with 1 or 6 (except the 31st), a wholesale market (yangnyeong sijang)…
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E
Free Market
A girl in ripped jeans selling her own hand-painted cigarette lighters; a Korean James Blunt sound-alike crooning into a microphone in front of adoring fans; hand-painted bottle tops, hand-painted suitcases, hand-painted everything; hairpins that look like fruit salad, wallets made of goat leather; a caricaturist, a knitter – all these can be found in this market, where stalls can be hired for W10,000. A similar Hope Market runs here on Sunday afternoons, but it’s smaller and has no live music.
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F
Jagalchi Fish Market
Anyone with a love of seafood, and a tolerance for powerful fish odours, could easily spend a couple of hours exploring the country's largest fish market. Waterfront warehouses, tiny shops and elderly women perched on street corners process and sell an incredible variety of seafood, which unfortunately includes whale meat.
Walk along the pier and you may be approached by sea-weathered sailors offering a 20-minute boat tour of the harbour; if interested, bargain down from the asking price.
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G
Noryangjin Fish Market
Every kind of aquatic life form swims around in tanks and bowls in this old-fashioned, covered market. Crabs, rays, tuna and shellfish are on display along with more exotic species such as sea cucumbers and sea squirts. The orange one is called meongge – we don’t recommend trying it. Take-away platters of raw fish sell for W10,000, while giant prawns cost W15,000 a kilo. After exiting the subway station, turn right, and cross the railway tracks on the pedestrian bridge.
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H
Aland
Not sure what the concept is here – expensive designer clothing is mixed in among vintage and garage-sale items and decorations that include old broken radios and used paint pots. It’s hard to tell what’s for sale and what’s part of the decor. One fitting room is a battered old cupboard. The music is good and the whole store is so unusual that it’s worth a visit.
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Hongdae Artists' Saturday Market
With its hair-braiding stalls, tarot-card readers, handmade jewellery, hand-painted hats and T-shirts, appliqué bags, fans with a political message and soap made from rice and honey, this small Saturday market in the park outside Hongik University has a '60s Woodstock feel. Singers and pasty-faced magicians put on shows in the entertainment corner.
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Filipino Sunday Market
Join the jolly Filipino community in Seoul who gather in this lively Little Manila every Sunday to meet, chat and eat Filipino food. Street stalls sell tropical treats such as coconut drinks, cassava cakes, fried bananas on a stick, adobo chicken and longaniza sausage. Call-back telephone cards are also on sale.
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J
Gwangjang Market
This rabbit warren of a market has been frozen in time: everything is still traditional and unmodernised. Look out for the food stalls with workers grinding mung beans – they sell crispy, thick bindaetteok (mung-bean pancake) for W4000 that are big enough to be shared by two.
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K
Jaeraesijang
This indoor market covers a mixed range of goods. It’s quiet and out of the way, so there must be bargains around. You can watch rice cakes being made using traditional methods. Upstairs is a trot dance club.
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Covered Market
Fish restaurants cluster round the harbour, but food is not Seogwipo's strong point. Seogwipo Covered Market has wonderful fruit and live seafood direct from local orchardists and fishermen.
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L
Bujeon Market
The city's largest downtown traditional open-air emporium and best place to buy low-cost in-season fruit and vegetables. The market is accessible from Bujeon-dong station (Exit 5).
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M
Gukje Market
West of Nampodong; has hundreds of small booths with a staggering selection of items, from leather goods to Korean drums.
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N
Gupo Market
A large selection of clothing, pungent Korean food and butcher shops specialising in fowl and dog meat. Whatever one's take on the ancient practice of using man's best friend for human nourishment, images of an eviscerated canine carcass are bound to produce lasting memories. Line 3 to Deokcheon station, Exit 3. Turn right at the first street and then left at the first street.
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