Gwangjang Market is one of Seoul's oldest and most beloved traditional markets, founded in 1905 and still operating in much the same spirit it always has. Spread across a labyrinthine covered arcade near the Cheonggyecheon stream in Jongno-gu, it was Korea's first permanent market and remains a living archive of everyday Seoul life — a place where fabric merchants, vintage clothing hunters, and hungry locals all converge under the same fluorescent-lit roof. Unlike the city's glossier food halls, Gwangjang has an undeniable authenticity that no amount of tourism has managed to sand away.
Market