Wandering through Gwangjin-gu’s biggest traditional Korean market

Junggok Jeil Market, the largest in Gwangjin-gu, is located in the northern part of the district along the north bank of the Han River at Seoul’s eastern edge. The market features a covered arcade with 134 stores, serving as a key shopping destination for the local community.

The market offers just about everything, but its variety of food options ranging from fresh produce to street food is especially popular with visitors.

While fruit and vegetables stores are clustered at the market entrance, agricultural products, side dishes shops — known as “banchan gagae” here — and homeware stores are aligned at the main street of Junggok Jeil Market.

Those who wish to buy meat and seafood might have to head down the small alleys stretching from the main street.

An unfamiliar sight witnessed at this market is the serene atmosphere.

Unlike many of the country’s traditional markets where vendors shout to catch shoppers’ attention, Junggok Jeil Market offers a relaxed, inviting vibe that encourages visitors to browse at their own pace.

Though the market is best known for its size and wide range of items, Junggok Jeil Market has garnered attention for its simple, wholesome Korean restaurants, which offer snack-type meals including popular Korean street foods like gimbap, tteokbokki and deep-fried vegetables, meat and seafood, among other options.

There are a number of gimbap shops and other small diners, known as “bunsikjib” in Korean, within the market area, but Tailor Gimbap is the one not to be missed.

Tailor Gimbap uses 1 1/2 sheets of “gim” — dried seaweed in Korean — to make a bigger roll of gimbap with more ingredients to stuff visitors’ stomachs.

Food lovers can choose among six gimbap options: classic, cheese, bulgogi, spicy stir-fried pork, aged kimchi with tuna and spicy dried squid.

A complementary option to complete your meal with satisfaction would be a bowl of tteokbokki.

Tailor Gimbap’s tteokbokki uses hand-crushed tomatoes to soothe the spiciness of its gochujang (red chile pepper paste) taste, allowing even those who cannot handle spicy food and small children to enjoy the meal.

Try dipping the gimbap in the tteokbokki sauce.

While the shop’s gimbap is a sought-after option for locals and nearby vendors, it is also becoming more popular among hikers taking lunch with them to enjoy at the top of Yongmasan and Achasan — two popular Seoul mountains visited by countless amateur and veteran hikers alike.

For more of a focus on deep-fried foods and fish cakes, go one alley farther to Jayangdong Tteokbokki.

The closest subway station to Junggok Jeil Market is Junggok Station Subway Line No. 7. Come out of Exit No. 2 and the market unfolds at just a short distance.

Visiting a traditional Korean market is a must-do for local and overseas travelers alike, first-time or otherwise. These markets offer travelers the chance to experience a piece of the authentic Korea lifestyle, to explore lesser-known areas in the city and browse diverse goods for an enriching cultural experience in Seoul. The Korea Herald introduces Seoul-based street and flea markets other than the most popular Gwangjang Market. This article is the fourth in the series — Ed.