Goseong Five-day Market

Goseong Five-day Market sets up in Goseong-ri, Seongsan-eup, about 3 km west of Seongsan Ilchulbong on Jeju's east coast. On dates ending in 4 and 9 it opens early in the morning, bringing together fish landed off Seongsan, meat, vegetables, clothing and farm tools for the villages of eastern Jeju. It is far smaller than the big five-day market in Jeju City, which is exactly why it keeps the plain, neighbourly feel of a village market.

Seongsan's local market

Goseong-ri is home to the Seongsan-eup office and is the centre of the township. The market moved to its current site in 1984 and became the market for Seongsan residents as well as people from Udo island across the water and neighbouring Gujwa-eup. Udo islanders, too, have long crossed by boat to shop here. Rows of wooden stall benches sit under a long steel-roofed shed, which stands empty between market days.

Five-day markets are still held in many towns across Jeju. The biggest is the Jeju Folk Five-day Market in Jeju City (dates ending in 2 and 7), and Seogwipo has its own Seogwipo Hyangto Five-day Market (dates ending in 4 and 9). Goseong is different: a small market with more locals than tourists, where you can see what people in Jeju's eastern villages buy and eat. It shares its market days with the Seogwipo market, so pick whichever suits your route.

What you will find

• Seafood stalls: fish and shellfish from the waters off Seongsan are the main draw.
• Vegetables and fruit: produce from nearby fields and fruit that changes with the season.
• Meat: butchers take up their own corner of the shed.
• Everyday goods: clothes, shoes and farm tools take up one corner, as befits a farming community's market.

Fitting it into a Seongsan day

The market is about 3 km from Seongsan Ilchulbong and about 2 km from Seopjikoji, an easy stop on an east-coast trip. Watch the sunrise from Ilchulbong, come down for a look around the market, then walk Seopjikoji or catch the ferry to Udo from Seongsan Port – the route works neatly. Seongsan Ilchulbong was inscribed in 2007 as part of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage site "Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes", and the area is busy with travellers even when there is no market.

Tripto tips

• Market days: the 4th, 9th, 14th, 19th, 24th and 29th – the same days as the Seogwipo market.
• Hours: the market generally runs 08:00–14:00 and winds down in the afternoon, so go in the morning. 30 minutes to an hour is enough for a look around.
• Getting there: take a bus from Jeju City or Seogwipo towards Seongsan and get off in Goseong-ri. With a rental car, you can use the market car park. On foot from Seongsan Ilchulbong it takes a little over 40 minutes.
• Shopping: some stalls do not take cards, so carry a little cash. There are toilets and a car park at the market.
• Combine it with: Seongsan Ilchulbong and Seopjikoji are close, and Gwangchigi Beach, on the Goseong-ri shore, shows Ilchulbong beyond broad lava shelves exposed at low tide.