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This past week, I worked too much, so I wanted to relax this weekend. But now that the new season has begun, I'm sick of not being able to see the things that are out there. Eventually, I hit the road today like someone who was possessed by something.

At Seoul Station's Lotte Mart, I bought something to drink and then walked towards Myeong-dong. Then I realized it had been so long since my last trip to Namdaemun Market that I couldn't remember when it was. So, Namdaemun Market became my destination.

As soon as I got out of military service, I started a part-time job at the Bank of Korea in Seoul. Namdaemun Market, which was close by, felt like a hometown to me.

On Sunday, most stores were closed, but some shops and street stalls were open. It didn't matter, though; this place was still full. Because it's the biggest traditional market in Korea.

The Namdaemun Gate is not far from here. This market has been around for more than 600 years. There is no other market like it in terms of size or tradition.

It's been one of Seoul's most famous tourist spots for a long time, and people from all over the world come to see it. Nowadays, it's extremely popular. Especially for international tourists.

I once heard that Namdaemun Market was the place to go for many foreign tourists who were sick of the crazy high prices in a tourist area not far from here.

However, I didn't expect this many. In every direction, there is a long line of people speaking different languages.

I went to Namdaemun Market for the first time in a while, and the prices are still very fair. It's a 5-minute walk from the popular attractions mentioned above and everything costs half the price, so there's no reason not to come.

Yakgwa, a traditional Korean cookie, was in my bag, so I tried not to buy any street food.

But the smell that took my breath away was so good. Although I tried very hard not to look at the hotteok sizzling in oil on an iron plate, I finally gave in. No one could have done it, I think.

Hello. One Honey Hotteok (Honey-filled Korean pancake), please.

Honey hotteok costs 1,500 won per piece. I think the price is fair since this is a tourist spot, even though it's more expensive than Hotteok in a small-town market that costs 1,000 won.

Delicious, hot, and crunchy. My first Hotteok of the year at Namdaemun Market, which I never thought would happen. With the year coming to an end, it looks like something good will happen.

Within a short distance, I found a tourist information center. The number of tourists from other countries seemed to have grown a lot, which suggested that the government was certainly working hard.

​A market selling mainly food cannot be considered a traditional market. I said that Namdaemun Market is the no.1 traditional Korean market. So, if you look around some more, you'll see that it's really a paradise of very different things.

There are lots of different things, just like at the Hong Kong night markets.​

Maybe because Christmas is coming up, stores are full of people looking for winter-themed things.

Also full of different kinds of toys. Whatever you can think of, you can find it.

Shops just for foreign tourists

You can also get a delicious pack of 10 dumplings for only 8,000 won.

The dumplings were pretty big. The price was fair, and the food might taste good. Because the dumplings were stacked like a mountain, but they were gone in a flash.

The best part of Namdaemun Market is exploring the back alleys and shopping places underground. One of them is an alley that sells foreign goods like snacks and alcohol, but it was closed.

There would be lots of fun things if today was not Sunday.

But the cutlassfish alley, which has been a specialty of Namdaemun Market for a long time, is still packed with people even on Sunday.

There seem to be more people here than before. There are a lot of young people as well as older adults. Surely, this alley has also turned into a place where people come to visit in Seoul.

It looks like I had enough fun to do something on Sunday. I will have to come back to see the rest next time.

Traditional and well-loved by tourists, Namdaemun Market is one of Seoul's most iconic landmarks. When in Seoul, make sure to stop by this spot.

Address : 21 Namdaemunsijang 4-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul OPEN GOOGLE MAP

Operation Hours : Sunday closed

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Source : https://blog.naver.com/dlsen0115/223282497126

Writer : dlsen0115

Special thanks to dlsen0115

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