Not all touristy locations are the same. Some are tourist traps, but some are able to retain some of their authenticity and remain an interesting destination. In my opinion Gwangjang Market falls into the latter category and it is a fun place where to try Korean street food. This is my experience of a visit at around 11am on a weekday.
The visit
My visit started from the exit 7 of the Jongno 5(o)-ga Station of the Seoul metro. From there, it was just 10 meters to enter the fray.
Eventually I sat down at the stall number 3 where an energetic lady served me some delicious kimchi dumplings.
Then I stepped inside a restaurant called Jinju Yukhoe specializing in raw meat. It was a waste, but I just had a mungbean pancake. This is a relatively crispy and thick pancake that I thoroughly enjoyed.
At the center of the complex, there was a stall specializing in knife-cut noodles made famous by a Netflix special.
The market is not just food. They are also famous for quality silk goods, linen bedding and hand-made goods. The market was formally established in 1962 as a spin-off of Dongdaemun Market.
The check
The food was very affordable and delicious. The pancake cost me just 5,000 WON and so much for the dumplings (they even gave me a little discount because I did not want the soup and they were considerably cheaper than from Bukchon Son Mandu).
This was my first visit and I played it safe with a couple of softballs like dumplings and pancakes. But I definitely would like to try the raw meat. Also, I was unable to find the stall specializing in spicy fish stew (Maeun-tang). For another time.
Where in Seoul:
88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Metro: Jongno 5(o)-ga Station (subway line 1) exit 7, roughly 15m away. Euljiro 4(sa)-ga Station (subway lines 2, 5) exit 4, roughly 150m away.
Website: www.kwangjangmarket.co.kr.