Busan’s Markets

Busan, a port city situated on the southernmost tip of Korea is mainly known for two things – the annual Busan International Film Festival and having some of the freshest seafood in the country.

We set out to find Gukje Market and Jagalchi Fish Market to experience one of the most traditional parts of Korean culture.  These types of markets are all over Korea and when in Busan, we figured we would start by visiting a popular market before proceeding to a fish market to try some of the fresh seafood that we always hear about. 

Gukje Market was colourful and not as crowded as I had expected. We visited in the morning though, so that could be why the market was not busy.  The market was exactly as you would expect.  It sold everything from spices, to snacks, to clothes and accessories. 

From Gukje Market, we made our way to Jagalchi Fish Market, perhaps the most famous fish market in Korea.  Upon entering the market the entire first floor is filled with vendors selling any kind of seafood you can imagine.  I was quite surprised to find that it was actually a covered building with bright lights and very little clutter.  The aisles were clear and all of the vendors had their own booths that were very organized.

We carefully chose some fish, clams and some other seafoods that we didn’t even recognize, but were highly recommended by the vendors.  We took our purchase upstairs to the second level where restaurants would take what you provide them and turn it into some amazing seafood dishes. 

After the waiter examined our purchase, he recommended a fish soup, which we were happy to try.  We ended up ordering way too much food and didn’t have any way of taking it with us as we were exploring the city. 

This was an amazing experience and the food we were able to enjoy at the market was fantastic.  It’s no wonder this is recommended by all the locals.