Walking into Dongdaemun Market for the first time, I had zero idea what I was looking at. I’d already spent time exploring Namdaemun and Gwangjang, so I showed up here expecting something similar. What I found instead at Dongdaemun was closer to an entire neighborhood than a contained marketplace.
Dongdaemun Market is a commercial district covering around 10 city blocks, with 26 shopping malls, 30,000 specialty shops, and 50,000 manufacturers all operating in the same area.
The shopping can be hit-or-miss for many first-time visitors, who might expect better deals. But the food around Mukja Golmok, the market’s most popular food street, is some of the best value I’ve found in central Seoul. (Oh, ya.. and the area never really closes.)
Here’s what I wish I’d known going into Seoul’s Dongdaemun Market on my first visit…
Where to go shopping at Dongdaemun Market
One of the things I learned the first time I stepped foot into Dongdaemun Market is that it splits into two very different shopping experiences depending on the time of day.
The retail side is anchored by large fashion malls like Doota, Migliore, and Hello apM. It runs during normal daylight hours and caters to tourists and general shoppers.
The wholesale side, where Korean online shop owners and manufacturers do some serious bulk buying, kicks in around 10 pm and runs through to 5 am.
(Weird hours, I know.)
If you show up mid-afternoon expecting wholesale deals, you’ll be disappointed. Prices on the retail side aren’t always as bargain-basement as people expect. (They aren’t really that much better than what you’d find while exploring Myeongdong in a day.)
I should also point out that Dongdaemun’s reputation as Seoul’s fashion capital has shifted over the years. The trend-forward shopping has largely moved to neighborhoods like Seongsu and Hongdae.
What Dongdaemun still does better than anywhere else is volume, variety, and wholesale. Still, I’d go into Dongdaemun Market with realistic expectations on the shopping front.
Doota (275 Jangchungdan-ro) is the most straightforward starting point for first-time visitors. It’s enormous, carries both international and Korean brands, and stays open daily until midnight.
The Nike customization station inside lets you print Hangeul and Seoul-inspired designs onto gear on the spot. It’s a good option if you want something specific to bring home from your first trip to South Korea.
If you only have time for one mall in Dongdaemun, I’d make it Doota.
Migliore (263 Jangchungdan-ro) and Hello apM (253 Jangchungdan-ro) run similar hours and carry comparable fashion across multiple floors. Hello apM skews younger, but it’s lost its reputation as a great spot for bargaining. Prices here are mostly fixed these days.
If discounts are a priority, Hyundai City Outlet (20 Jangchungdan-ro 13-gil) is worth checking out. Handbags in particular can go on sale for up to 60% off, and they carry Korean labels you won’t easily find elsewhere.
Hyundai City Outlet is open daily until 9 pm, extending to 9:30 pm on weekends. This is where I’d send a serious bargain hunter over the others I’ve mentioned.
Goodmorning City (247 Jangchungdan-ro) is the most all-in-one option I’ve found around Dongdaemun Market. The retail floors carry clothing, accessories, and bags. I should warn you, though, that the quality is mixed and you’ll need to pick your items carefully.
The more reliable draws at Goodmorning City are the food court, the Megabox cinema on the 9th floor, and Sparex Sauna in the basement (B3). These amenities make this mall a practical late-night base if you’re planning a proper Dongdaemun all-nighter.
Dongdaemun Shoes Market (436-80 Changsin-dong), near Dongdaemun Station Exit 7, does exactly what it says. Walking through on my first visit, I spotted both branded and unbranded shoes, bags, and luggage, with prices as low as ₩10,000 for a decent pair. The Shoes Market is open daily 10 am to 6 pm, extending to 8 pm on Thursdays and Fridays.
For late-night shoppers, Kwanghee Fashion Mall (21 Majang-ro 1-gil) is the wholesale option for leather and fur, running from 9 pm to 5 am. It’s not somewhere I’d send a casual browser, but if these items are on your Seoul shopping list, this is the spot.
PRO TIP: Most of the shop stalls in the more traditional sections of Dongdaemun Market near Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station prefer cash. Bring Korean won to haggle your heart out.
Where to eat
The food around Mukja Golmok is the main reason I kept coming back to Dongdaemun Market on my weekend trips to Seoul. The shopping around here may be hit-or-miss, but this alley off Jong-ro 40-gil near Dongdaemun Station Exit 9 never disappoints.
Mukja Golmok translates to “Let’s Eat Alley,” and it earns the name. The alley specializes in grilled fish and whole-chicken soup, with tteokbokki, hotteok, and mandu vendors filling in the gaps as you walk.
Granny Jin Ok-Hwa Original Dak Hanmari (18 Jong-ro 40ga-gil) has been serving the same dish since 1978. A whole young chicken is boiled in broth with potatoes, leeks, and spring onions, then served in an aluminum basin.
At ₩18,000 to ₩22,000 for a whole chicken that feeds two to three people, it’s one of the best-value meals in this part of the city. Several restaurants in Mukja Golmok serve near-identical dishes. Jin Ok-Hwa is the one with the permanent queue out the door.
(I’d recommend getting here before 6 pm or factor in a long wait.)
The Dongdaemun Grilled Fish Alley (Jong-ro 40ga-gil) runs a few buildings east. Mackerel and halibut come with a full set of side dishes for ₩7,000 to ₩10,000.
Baffle Yaki (6 Jong-ro 40-gil) is worth hunting down, too. The owner, Jo, was featured on Netflix’s Street Food: Asia for the dish she invented by pressing leftover rice into a waffle iron. It comes stuffed with cabbage, bacon, shrimp, or octopus, finished with mayo, hot sauce, and bonito flakes. They cost about ₩4,000 to ₩5,000.
If you want to keep eating after Mukja Golmok, Gwangjang Market is about a kilometer east and is the stronger food destination overall. The bindae-tteok (mung bean pancakes) are worth the short walk.
Beyond the market
The area around Dongdaemun Market is one of the more interesting parts I’ve wandered around in central Seoul. After a few hours of shopping and eating, there are plenty of things to do around Dongdaemun Market to end the day.
Dongdaemun Design Plaza
The Zaha Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza is a five-minute walk from the main mall area. I’d make a point of coming back after dark to see the 222-meter facade light up.
Dongdaemun Design Plaza looks completely different at night than it does in daylight, and it’s one of the better free spectacles I’ve found in central Seoul.
Cheonggyecheon Stream
Cheonggyecheon Stream runs through the shopping district, separating its more traditional areas from its more modern ones. This restored urban stream sits below street level and is lined by a pedestrian path that’s a fantastic spot for a leisurely stroll in central Seoul.
After a full day exploring Dongdaemun, I find Cheonggyecheon Stream one of the quieter spots in this part of the city. I love strolling along the softly-lit banks (and escaping the need to dodge traffic endlessly) as the city continues to hum above.
Naksan Park
From Heunginjimun Gate at Dongdaemun Station Exit 6/7, the Seoul City Wall trail leads up to Naksan Park and Ihwa Mural Village.
The hike up Naksan takes around 30 to 40 minutes. The view over central Seoul from the top is one I’d even put ahead of the beautiful views from Namsan for most first-time visitors. It’s quieter, less touristy, and just as rewarding.
Practical info
Most shopping malls in Dongdaemun Market run from around 10:30 am until midnight, with a handful staying open later. The wholesale side kicks in around 10 pm and runs through to 5 am.
Most stalls in the traditional market sections close on Sundays, though the big fashion malls generally stay open.
Two subway stations cover the district, and which one you use depends on where you want to go.
For Mukja Golmok and the northern retail malls (Doota, Migliore, Hello apM), use Dongdaemun Station on Lines 1 and 4. Exit 9 puts you closest to the food alley. Exit 8 is better for the mall area.
For the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Cheonggyecheon Stream, and the wholesale side of the market, use Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station on Lines 2, 4, and 5. Exits 1 and 14 are closest to the DDP.
Cash gets you further at Dongdaemun Market than your card will. Vendors in the wholesale buildings and market stalls (think Migliore, Hello apM, Shoes Market) often knock 5 to 10 percent off for cash. Doota and the bigger retail malls take cards without issue. Don’t expect bargaining.
