Gwangjang Market Seoul: Buying Hanbok, Mayak Gimbap, World Championship Coffee, and Naengmyeon for Dinner

Gwangjang Market is one of those places that gets described as a food market but is actually a full Seoul experience if you know where to look. Yes, the food is famous. But there is also hanbok, traditional fabrics, vintage shops, cookware, accessories, and coffee from a world champion barista tucked in between the stalls. We spent a full day here and walked close to 10,000 steps before dinner time.

Here is everything we did, ate, and bought.

---

Buying Hanbok at Gwangjang Market

Gwangjang Market was originally famous for traditional wedding essentials long before it became known for food. It is still one of the best places in Seoul to buy authentic hanbok and traditional Korean fabrics at reasonable prices.

My mom came with us and she knew exactly what to look for. We went to a shop right next to one of the coffee stalls. Mom paid 570,000 KRW total for two complete sets (one female, one male) including the accessory belt sash that wraps around the waist. They also included shoes, with mom paying an additional 20,000 KRW for those.

The fitting and any alterations take about one hour. The hanbok we got uses traditional hooks (not buttons or zippers) and can be hand washed carefully at home.

Once we had the hanbok, my mom sent me on a mission for norigae (the decorative ornament that hangs from the belt). The accessory vendors nearby had hundreds of options. I found a pink-toned one for 8,000 KRW. The selection is overwhelming in the best way if you have time to browse.

If you want to buy hanbok in Seoul, Gwangjang Market is worth considering before going to a dedicated boutique. The prices are lower and the selection of traditional styles is genuine.

---

Twisted Donut (First Food of the Day)

We started eating immediately on arrival. The twisted fried donut stalls are near the entrance and the line moves quickly. These are simple fried dough twists, not too sweet, not greasy, freshly made. A clean first bite to get the stomach going.

---

What to Eat at Gwangjang Market (Our Recommendations)

A lot of people come here only for a few things and miss the rest. Here is a guide based on what we saw and what locals told us:

Hotteok (Korean sweet hot dog style fried bread): Not a Western-style hot dog. This is fried dough with brown sugar filling. It is dessert-adjacent and worth trying.

Sikhye: Traditional sweet rice punch. Cold, lightly sweet, and full of rice grains at the bottom. my grandmother used to make this at home using a rice cooker. You can find vendors selling large cups of it throughout the market.

Tteokbokki: The spicy rice cake dish is a must-try here if you have not had it yet in Korea.

Bindaetteok (mung bean pancake): This is one of the more unique Gwangjang Market foods. Vendors grind the mung beans on the spot (you can watch the grinding process through the glass at some stalls) and fry the pancakes to order. Crispy outside, dense and savory inside. Traditionally eaten on rainy days in Korea, but good any time.

---

Mayak Gimbap (Stall 66)

The most famous food at Gwangjang Market. These used to be called mayak kimbap, meaning "drug kimbap," because they were that addictive. Koreans have since moved away from that name, and now they are usually just called guma kimbap or mini kimbap.

They are smaller than a thumb. Inside: carrots, danmuji (yellow pickled radish), and a little spinach. The magic is in the dipping sauce they give you on the side.

We had never tried them before this trip. We went to stall number 66 and tried them for the first time. Very simple. The sauce makes everything. Once you understand why people love these, you start finishing the container faster than expected.

---

Mandu (Dumplings)

Same area as the gimbap, we ordered two types of mandu: regular pork filling and kimchi pork. Both came with a soy sauce mixed with green onion and a little vinegar.

Both were very good. The kimchi mandu had a clean spice from the fermented kimchi that complemented the pork well. It might seem like an odd thing to note, but kimchi mandu is actually harder to find in many parts of Korea than you would expect. Getting it at Gwangjang felt like the right place for it.

---

World Championship Coffee (Bowl Coffee)

This was an unexpected highlight of the day. Tucked near the hanbok section is a small coffee stall run by a barista who won the Korean Coffee Roasting Championship and placed third in the World Coffee Roasting Championship in 2023.

They serve it in a bowl. The instruction is to tilt the bowl at 45 degrees to drink, no straw.

We were skeptical. The result was one of the smoothest cups of coffee either of us had during the entire Korea trip. Very smooth texture, mild bitterness, thick cream layered on top, finished with coconut powder. It did not drink like typical coffee. The roast made everything more rounded and less acidic.

If you see the line at this stall, get in it.

---

Exploring the Rest of the Market

Gwangjang has a lot beyond food and hanbok. On this visit we walked through:

• Vintage clothing stores: Military surplus, vintage jackets and shoes, things you would not find easily elsewhere in Seoul
• Blanket and bedding vendors: Koreans come here for winter blankets and bedding. Large selection, reasonable prices.
• Traditional Korean cookware: Clay pots, Korean ramen pots (the thin aluminum ones), cast iron. If you have been wanting to buy a Korean ramen pot, this is a better place than HMart prices abroad.
• Korean food products: Dried goods, kimchi, vegetables. Local people shop for actual groceries here alongside the tourists.
• Silk and fabric stalls: Where the traditional wedding market began. Bolts of silk, traditional patterns, and materials for making traditional clothing.
• Live squid: One vendor had squid that were so fresh the suction cups were still sticking to the plate. A Gwangjang Market moment.

One more thing: the famous Instagram Starbucks is right above the market. It is a Starbucks. We did not go.

---

Dinner: Hamheung Naengmyeon (Cold Noodle Restaurant)

We ended the day at a naengmyeon restaurant that has a long history in this area. It is located on the 4th floor of a shopping center near Gwangjang Market.

My grandmother used to bring me here as a child. The restaurant specializes in Pyeongyang-style naengmyeon (plain cold noodles), and they make their own noodles in-house, which is the important part. Most naengmyeon places outside Korea use pre-made noodles and it shows.

When the bowl arrives, they first bring a large hot pot of broth. The idea is to drink some hot broth before eating the cold noodles, warming your stomach before the cold hits. This is a traditional Korean serving approach.

To eat naengmyeon, you cut the noodles with scissors. Some people cut in a cross pattern, some cut straight. Just cut them down to a manageable length.

The bowl comes with vinegar and Korean mustard to add to taste. Mix everything together before eating.

We ordered one Pyeongyang naengmyeon (plain) and one mung bean noodle version to share between us. Both bowls were large. The noodles had exactly the texture and flavor that you can only get when they are made fresh in house. This was the first bite of naengmyeon that tasted the way I remembered from childhood.

Naengmyeon is my favorite Korean food and this version was worth the walk from the market.

---

Practical Notes for Gwangjang Market

• Getting there: MRT to Jongno 5-ga or Euljiro 4-ga stations, short walk from either
• Best day: Weekdays are busy but manageable. Weekends will be significantly more crowded.
• Time needed: A minimum of half a day. A full day is easy to fill.
• Cash: Most vendors prefer cash, especially the smaller food stalls and fabric shops
• Hanbok timing: Budget about 2 hours if you want to buy and wait for simple alterations