Seoul Markets - Cebu SMILE

8/6/2019 Seoul Markets - Cebu SMILE

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M A R V E L O U S M A R K E T S

To truly understand what makesthis complex and beautiful city tick,Matthew Crompton takes us to thebosom of the South Korean capital:

its marvelous markets

Heart of Seoul

A view over the south aisleof Noryangjin from the

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Scenes from Namdaemun (top to bottom): A food vendor displays a lunchtime spread,Korean ginseng in glass bottles, and a littleboy checks out a table of toys.

Top: An overview of the sh tanksat Noryangjin Market. Left: Colorful shellsh await buyers.


SEOUL IS A city of sights thatfrequently belie its true character medieval palaces that dont speakto its essential, gritty joie de vivre aswell as polished luxury departmentstores that hide the easy garrulousnessof its people and the citys recentlydeveloping-world roots. A visit toSeouls public markets, however,brings into immediate focus exactlywhat makes this rough and complexcity so beguiling. The whole marketexperience cuts right to the heart ofKorean culture, says magazine editorand longtime Seoul resident, DavidCarruth. You cant go to a shoppingmall for it as theres all this distance

between things. Its got to be here,in the market, with people jostlingagainst each other from beneath amakeshift roof.

Seoul may seem a hard nut to crackat rst, but these markets eacheasily accessible via the citys fantasticsubway system are the perfectway to experience Asias newest itdestination.

Noryangjin Fish MarketPicture an aquarium, overowing with every form of sealife octopus and prawns, sh and eel, king crab and squidand an entire rainbow of shellsh. Now imagine t hat you caneat everything in that aquarium, and you have a good pictureof the piscatorial vastness of Noryangjin. At 66,000m 2,its the largest sh market in Seoul, and when youre donemarveling at the mind-boggling variety and size (prawns canbe as long as your arm!) of whats on offer, its de rigeur tobuy a sh or two and take it to the restaurants on the southwall, where they will prepare you a feast of whats likely thefreshest seafood you will ever have. Highlights include hoe (pronounced hwe sliced raw sh served with wasabi andother garnishes), jjukkumi (baby octopus tentacles served

chopped and still wiggling, with sesame oil) and maeuntang (a spicy stew made with the bones and leftovers of your sh).Noryangjin Station, line 1, exit 1.

Namdaemun MarketFor a rst-time visitor to Seoul, I think Namdaemun is best,says teacher and native resident, Ayeong Jo, because

Namdaemun has everything. A labyrinth of plastic-coveredstalls selling everything from bags to clothing to Koreanginseng, the jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none designationmay apply here, but its still an excellent introduction tothe Korean market experience. Popular with Japanese andChinese tourists, Namdaemun also has some endearinglypeculiar offerings surly shopkeeps preside over g lossypictures of Korean pop stars and tables laden with militarysurplus paraphernalia. If you get hungry while browsing, themarket is also rightly famous for its food stalls, which do abrisk trade in kalguksu (a soup of thick noodles in a rich broth)and jokbal (boiled, deliciously seasoned pig trotters), amongothers. Hoehyeon Station, line 4, exit 6.

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Yongsan Electronics Market

While it could hardly be called traditional, this enormouselectronics market offers a great window into Koreastechnology-obsessed society. Anything in the world that runson batteries or plugs into a wall is on offer here, with oor afteroor of digital cameras and accessories, laptop computers,rice cookers, humidiers, television sets and audio equipment. Just bearing witness to the aisles full of gleaming techie toysis reason enough to visit, but there are also some deals tobe had if you do your homework and are willing to bargainhard. Youll get a better deal buying package combos, but beforewarned that clerks at Yongsan are notorious for trickingtourists with little skill for haggling. Yongsan Station, line 1,exit into station building.

Gyeongdong Medicinals MarketIt may not be a feast for the eyes (most of the goodshere come in various shades of grey and brown), but thismulti-block maze of shops selling the ingredients of Koreantraditional medicines is worth visiting for the smells alone.Funky, pungent, sharp, heady, earthy and sometimes justplain weird (but in an interesting way), this is the place to gofor some hwanggi ( milk vetch root), jine ( dried millipede), orground deer antler to cure what ails you. There are also anumber of practitioners of acupuncture and Korean traditionalmedicine to get your ki (life force) straightened out andowing, but you may want to bring a local with you to sortout the language issues. Jegi-dong Station, line 1, exit 2.

This multi-block maze of shops selling the ingredients of Koreantraditional medicine is worth visiting for the smells alone

Top to bottom:Dried herbs hangin a back alley ofthe Gyeongdong

Medicinals complex,a clerk presides over

dry goods in her stall,and the cameraoor at Yongsan.

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Gwangjang MarketWith the lights of bare bulbs burning like stars above

steaming pots and cauldrons, and griddles heaped withthick rounds of frying batter, Gwangjang might be the singlebest place in Seoul to experience the citys legendary eatingand drinking culture. By day, its an ordinary market sellingsundries like fabrics, shoes, and imported candies. At nightthe unnished, hangar-like space is transformed into asprawling open restaurant of stalls and carts, heady with theodors of garlic and chili and raucous with the conversationat every level of Korean society, from businessmen togarbagemen to schoolteachers. Famous for its bindaetteok a savory mung-bean pancake which pairs perfectly withsoy sauce and a bottle of makgeolli (sour-sweet Koreanrice beer) a few hours here feels like a celebration ofeverything thats great about Seoul: a place as rough, earthy,unpretentious, and satisfying as the city that contains it.Jongno 5-ga Station, line 1, exit 8.

Dongdaemun Fashion MarketHave you ever wanted to to shop for a new pair of jeans at3am? Ever had an urge to hunt down accessories long, long

after the sun has gone down? Well, this is Seoul, and thesecret is, thousands of people here do. Dongdaemuns fashionmarkets are the perfect place to get a taste of Seouls city thatnever sleeps character, with shoppers ooding the streetsand pouring into mega fashion stores like Doota and Migliorelate into the night. The maze of stores and alleyways andstalls may be confusing at rst, but getting lost in the ood ofsuper-shoppers is half the fun, and there are few experiencesas uniquely Seoul as a visit to Dongdaemun in the wee hours.Dongdaemun Station, line 1 & 4, exit 8 or 9.

Cebu Pacic ies to Incheon (Seoul) from Cebu and Manila.www.cebupacicair.com

Browse for fabricsbeneath the lights at

Dongdaemun.

Left: A woman ips a bindaetteok (mung-bean pancake) at Gwangjang Market.Below: Fritters ready to be eaten.

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Seoul Markets - Cebu SMILE

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