Namdaemun 남대문
An average of 300,000 people visit Namdaemun Market a day, where the appearance of tradition and the present exist and are full of vitality. Geographically, it is close to major buildings in Seoul such as Shinsegae Department Store and the Bank of Korea, as well as tourist attractions such as Jeongdong-gil, Myeong-dong, Namsan Tower, and Namsan Hanok Village, making it the most visited attraction by foreigners. People head to nearly 10,000 stores starting at Sungnyemun Gate.
There is even a saying, “If it’s not in Namdaemun Market, it’s nowhere in Seoul,” and “There’s everything in Namdaemun Market except for cat horns.”
Namdaemun Market sells more than 1,700 kinds of products needed for daily life, including various clothes such as children, men, and women, as well as accessories, kitchenware, folk crafts, food, miscellaneous goods, and agricultural and fishery products. Namdaemun Market also serves as a wholesale and retail function that distributes to retailers and consumers nationwide at low prices, so it is visited not only by domestic retailers but also by China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.
Namdaemun Market also has many good restaurants.
It is recommended to visit Namdaemun Market for food that can only be tasted at Namdaemun Market, such as Eunho Restaurant and Jinju Restaurant, as well as hairtail alleys, kalguksu alleys, vegetable hotteok, chicken stew, and Buwonmyeonok, a north-style cold noodle restaurant.
