Gukje Market

Gukje means international. The market began in 1945 on an empty lot, selling goods left behind at the end of the colonial period and things brought in by foreign trade, took its present name in 1950 and until the 1990s was the place in Busan to find imported goods. 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's there

• The covered alleys - fabric, hardware, clothing, imported goods.
• The food section - noodles, hotteok, eomuk, gimbap on stools.
• The 1945 origin - a market that began on an empty lot and grew into blocks of alleys.
• 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.

Before you go

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.

Key facts