Before my journey to South Korea, one of the highlights on my list was to explore the Gwangjang Market or a similar market in the area. Among the numerous markets in Seoul, Gwangjang was my chosen destination after thorough online research. Originally intended for the day of my photoshoot and the night out in Itaewon, our low energy levels led us to postpone the visit. However, my Korean friend Liz had a pleasant surprise for us – a visit to Gwangjang Market!
Gwangjang Market is one of the oldest markets in Seoul, dating back to the early 20th century. It’s a lively place with a lot of history, offering traditional Korean street food, textiles, clothes, and more. Exploring the market gave us a real taste of Korean culture and made our trip even more memorable.
To reach Gwangjang Market, we hopped on the metro. Despite being more convenient from our previous hotel, the efficient metro lines made the journey easy. Upon arriving at the market, we noticed it was a large under roof market, looking already quite huge from the outside. Stepping in, we encountered a considerable crowd – perhaps not the ideal choice for a Saturday visit Initially passing stores offering various items like kitchenware, we observed international flags hanging from the ceiling. As we ventured further into the middle, the food section unfolded—a large area with numerous food options and, unsurprisingly, a considerable crowd. The challenge now was finding a seat and deciding where to start.
My friend insisted that I try the mung bean pancake, a market specialty, so we patiently waited in line for a seat. Eager to try a bit of everything on the menu, and explore other food stalls, although not entirely practical, we decided to begin with the pancake. Another intriguing item I wanted to try was the live octopus. While it’s not truly alive, the octopus’ muscles continue to move even after being cut, creating the illusion of life. The phenomenon is often attributed to residual nerve activity, causing the appearance of motion in the tentacles.
Our Gwangjang Market experience included sampling the pancake, live octopus, and raw Korean beef, similar to a beef tartare. While these might sound unusual, my love for exploring new flavors and specialties from different countries reflects my belief that food is a gateway to understanding diverse cultures. Surprisingly, the live octopus turned out to be quite tasty! It resembled the freshest sashimi, and the moving part wasn’t as disturbing as expected; it clung to the tongue with a rather amusing sensation. The raw beef, though needing a touch more seasoning, offered an enjoyable flavor. The pancake rounded off the experience. What made it even more enjoyable was the presence of two older Korean ladies sitting next to us, sipping soju and sharing various foods. Despite not speaking a word of English, they found it very amusing to share various dishes with my partner and encourage him to join them in drinking soju. Being as kind as he is, he happily went along with it.
We continued our walk passing by numerous seafood and dumpling options in the heart of the market.There were countless octopuses in aquariums and many other intriguing things I had never seen before – a variety of seafood, kimchis, and more. I wished I could have tried everything.
One of the stands caught our attention, where Choo Yonsoon, known from the Netflix series “Street Food,” was making dumplings. Though we didn’t try hers, we opted for similar-looking ones from a nearby stall due to the long line. These dumplings were delicious, with various fillings like kimchi. We also tried a dumpling soup, accompanied by a side of kimchi. Regrettably, this concluded our dining at the market as we were already quite full, despite sharing everything. I wish I had tasted more dishes, particularly seafood, dumplings, and gimbap. I had my eyes set on trying gimbap with raw beef, but we simply couldn’t indulge in more food.
Our final stop was to grab some coffee and juice for me – I guess I still haven’t fully embraced adulthood as I never developed a liking for coffee. Afterward, we continued exploring the streets of Seoul with Liz. She introduced us to Dongdaemun Design Plaza, conveniently located in the same area. I’m grateful that she took us there because I might not have chosen to visit it on my own. It turned out to be a captivating building with interesting exhibits inside. One highlight was a shopping exhibition featuring a rainforest-themed setup with bags hanging from the trees – a visually appealing concept. Given its close proximity to the market, it’s a great idea to explore both places at the same time. Additionally, there’s a stylish modern coffee place for coffee enthusiasts and, of course, for those like me who prefer alternative beverages.
Another attraction in the area is the Cheonggyecheon Stream, apparently known from many Korean movies and TV-series. It’s genuinely pleasant to walk along this stream; many people stroll around, and we even stumbled upon some kind of concert featuring older Korean ladies, presumably famous back in the day, having a free concert down by the stream. The atmosphere was charming.
Seoul offers multitude of incredible attractions and you can simply wander around, uncovering something new and interesting in every direction. Therefore, I suggest exploring freely, getting lost in the streets, and discovering without excessive planning. That’s precisely what I would have done, but regrettably, time constraints prompted us to stick to the plan to see all the things we desired. Next time, I’ll certainly plan more time in this city. In the upcoming post, I’ll delve into the remaining activities of that day, including the Han River sunset cruise.
Anyah Mroz 
Great👍 photos
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