Gukje Market

Gukje means international, and the name records how it started: when Busan became the refuge city during the war and its population swelled far beyond capacity, people sold whatever they had or could obtain, including goods that came off the American supply chain, in an open-air market that never went away. It is now several blocks of covered and semi-covered alleys running behind Nampo - fabric, hardware, clothing, kitchen equipment, imported goods, and a dense food section. The eating is the reason most visitors come: bibim dangmyeon, ssiat hotteok, chungmu gimbap, eomuk, and the sit-down alleys where a few plastic stools fit around a griddle. Adjacent are Bupyeong Kkangtong market and Jagalchi, so in practice the three run into each other. It is a working market, cramped and loud, and it is the least polished of Busan's attractions in a way people either like or do not.

What you actually see

• The covered alleys - fabric, hardware, clothing, imported goods.
• The food section - noodles, hotteok, eomuk, gimbap on stools.
• The wartime origin - the market that grew from refugee trade.
• The neighbouring markets - Bupyeong and Jagalchi run into it.

When to go

Any season - most of it is under cover. Daytime for the goods, late afternoon and evening for the food. Some sections close on Sundays.

Honest expectations

It is genuinely cramped and crowded, with narrow aisles and little English. Prices for non-food goods are negotiable and quoted high to visitors. Cash is easier.

Nearby

Jagalchi fish market, BIFF Square and Bupyeong Kkangtong market are adjacent.