Namdaemun Market
남대문시장
Shop in Jung-gu. Open 08:00–22:00 daily. Plan about 1.5 hours. 4 min walk from Hoehyeon (Namdaemun Market) Station.
Good to know
Our guide
Namdaemun Market is Korea's oldest and largest traditional market, named after Namdaemun (Sungnyemun), the old south gate of the city right next to it. It opened in 1414 under King Taejong and has been rebuilt many times after wars and fires. Today it packs thousands of small shops into a maze of buildings and alleys.
What to buy
- Everyday clothing and children's clothes, often at wholesale prices
- Glasses and contact lenses: hundreds of optical shops side by side
- Kitchenware, souvenirs and Korean crafts
- Ginseng and health foods
- Cameras and accessories on Camera Street
Prices are usually lower than in department stores, and many shops are tax-refund stores for foreign visitors. Bring some cash for street stalls.
What to eat
- Galchi Alley: braised or grilled hairtail (cutlassfish), a local classic
- Kalguksu Alley: knife-cut noodle soup, often served with cold noodles or barley bibimbap
- Hotteok: sweet filled pancakes; the savory japchae (glass noodle) version is a market favorite
- Mandu: steamed meat and kimchi dumplings
Good to know
- Go Monday to Saturday. Most shops close on Sundays, and hours vary by shop. Mornings to late afternoon are the safest window.
- Sunday exceptions: at Namdaemun Market, street-facing shops may open on Sundays at their own discretion, and restaurants set their own days off.
- Hours differ by arcade: Namdaemun Market's children's clothing arcades list separate daytime and overnight hours, and its flower wholesale arcade opens at 03:00.
- Getting there: Hoehyeon Station (Line 4), Exit 5, is a 2-minute walk. Myeong-dong is about 10 minutes away on foot, so the two fit easily into one afternoon.
- From farther away (our estimates): Namdaemun Market is 14 min from Seoul Station, 23 min from Hongik Univ. and 45 min from Gangnam, each route ending on Line 4 to Hoehyeon.
- Sungnyemun Gate, one of Korea's best-known National Treasures, stands at the market's western edge.
Also nearby
Within a 15-minute walk of Namdaemun Market: Deoksugung Palace (10 min), Culture Station Seoul 284 (12 min) and Jeongdong-gil Road (12 min).
Travel times and walking times to other places are estimates from our transit model, Oct 2026.
Sunday and arcade hours: Namdaemun Market merchants' association (namdaemunmarket.co.kr), checked Oct 2026.
Pairs well with
Within a 20-minute walk.
Where to stay near Namdaemun Market
Areas with the shortest trip here, on foot or by public transit.
From each area’s main station, on foot or by public transit. Our estimates (Nov 2026).
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