Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market

South of the Han River, just east of the 63 Building, Noryangjin Fish Market is the largest seafood wholesale market in inland Korea. Some 250–300 tonnes of seafood change hands every day, and auctions begin at 1 a.m. You stroll between the tanks, pick your fish and eat it straight away in a restaurant upstairs, which makes it one of Seoul's great food markets.

History: from Seoul Station to Noryangjin

The market began in 1927 as Gyeongseong Susan on Uiju-ro beside today's Seoul Station. In 1971 a new wholesale market was built north of Noryangjin Station, and in 2002 the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives (Suhyup) took it over. A modern building opened in 2016, but some traders refused to move and stayed in the old market, leading to a long dispute. Demolition of the old building was confirmed in 2019, and today all trade takes place in the new hall.

What to see

• Auction floor: shellfish auctions start at 01:00, premium fresh fish at 01:30, and premium live fish and frozen goods at 03:00. The 3 a.m. live-fish auction is the liveliest.
• Ground-floor retail hall: sections for live fish, fresh fish, shellfish and frozen seafood, with tanks full of king crab, flatfish, abalone and octopus.
• Upstairs restaurants and dried goods: the usual routine is to buy seafood downstairs and take it to a restaurant on the second floor to be served raw, steamed or as spicy stew, paying a separate preparation and table charge. Dried fish and salted seafood stalls are upstairs too.

Good to know

• Roughly half of the seafood traded in the Seoul metropolitan area passes through this market.
• Retail prices usually run 10–20% above auction prices. Check that day's auction prices on the market website to get a feel for what to pay.
• With an auction floor of about 7,000 m², a sales floor of about 8,500 m² and its car parks, the market covers more than 55,000 m².
• In a 2011 Seoul city survey of nearly 2,000 foreign visitors, a trip to the market ranked among their favourite things to do in Seoul.
• The "Sea Festival in the City", organised with Dongjak-gu, is held at the market.
• Prices are set by the volume landed that day, so the same fish can cost more or less from one day to the next.

Nearby

• 63 Building: about 500 m west, an easy next stop after your meal, or continue into Yeouido.
• Hangang Park: walk on to the Yeouido riverside park for an evening stroll.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: retail is open every day of the year. Premium seafood is sold around the clock, most other sections until about 22:00, dried goods and salted seafood until 19:00. Auctions pause on Sundays, 1 January and the Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays.
• Getting there: Noryangjin Station on Lines 1 and 9 is a few minutes' walk away.
• Parking: 1,259 spaces.
• Buying tips: prices are by weight, so check the price per kilo and the weight after cleaning. Cards are accepted.
• Time needed: 1.5–2 hours to look around and eat.