Including traditional Korean market stalls and modern shopping arcades, Dongdaemun Market is a sprawling commercial district in Jongno-gu. It’s one of Seoul’s most popular shopping destinations for both locals and visiting tourists, and has recently been designated as a “Special Tourism Zone”.
Dongdaemun Market is divided into five districts over its ten block span, including 26 shopping malls and around 30,000 specialty stalls. Everything from fine silk and leather goods to toys, clothing and electronics are on sale, as well as numerous stores selling domestic pets. There are plenty of eateries specialising in Korean cuisine, and it is particularly renowned for the traditional blood sausage known as sundae and mandu dumplings. The shopping malls on the Doosan Tower side of the market offer retail priced items, while those on the Dongdaemun Stadium side are predominantly wholesale retailers, with the area immediately surrounding the stadium clustered with sporting goods shops. The Dongdaemun History and Culture Park has recently been created on the site of the Seoul Fortress wall and Hadomateo military camp which lies adjacent. An outdoor stage hosts regular concerts and dance performances within the market, and its streets are illuminated with bright neon lights once the sun goes down. Unlike most markets which operate during regular daytime hours, the Dongdaemun Market extends through the night and into the early morning with some shops are open 24 hours, allowing wholesale clients to shop and restock outside of their business hours.
Dongdaemun Market is easily accessed from Dongdaemun Stadium Station along the Seoul Subway, as well as being served by numerous public bus routes. The best way to explore its traditional markets and shopping malls is definitely on foot.
Dongdaemun Market’s history stretches back to 1905 when it was originally opened as Yukgaejang, or “market for learning”, in Yeji-dong. It was destroyed during the Korean War and gradually rebuilt in the following years, with modern shopping malls such as Geopyeong Freya, Migliore and Doosan Tower added in the late 1990s.