Seodong Miro Market

In Seo-dong, in Busan's Geumjeong district, narrow lanes twist into such a tangle that it is easy to lose your bearings, and that is where the market gets its name: miro means maze. Unlike Jagalchi or Gukje Market, which are full of visitors, this is an everyday neighbourhood market where locals come for side dishes and fish, so it gives you a close look at an ordinary day in residential Busan. Geumjeong-gu, home to Geumjeongsan Mountain and Beomeosa Temple, is Busan's northern district and shows a side of the city far from the beaches.

Three markets in one

Seodong Miro Market is not a single market but a shared name for three: Seodong Market, Seodong Local Market and Seodong Traditional Alley Market. They relaunched together as a "culture and tourism market" in 2014 and took on the current name. There are two readings of it: most people explain miro as "maze" (迷路), but it has also been presented as "beautiful road" (美路).

Inside, the stalls cover everything a neighbourhood needs: produce and seafood, side dishes, butchers, porridge shops, herbal-medicine brewers (tangjewon), general goods, even a pharmacy and a bank. Walls and shutters are painted with murals, so you can go picture-hunting between purchases.

Walking the lanes

Most of the main aisles are covered by arched roofs, so shopping is easy even on rainy days. Red lanterns and shop signs hang in rows beneath them, and the side lanes branching off are packed with fish stalls, snack bars and side-dish shops. Because this is where locals buy the day's food, browsing the trays of side dishes and salted seafood gives you a good idea of what a Busan family eats at home. If you get peckish, pick up something from a snack bar and take it with you on a loop of the lanes.

An art space inside the market

The market is home to the Seodong Art Creation Space, opened in June 2012. The three-level building has an exhibition room, artists' studios, classrooms, a small library, a rooftop rest area and an outdoor stage, and runs cultural classes for traders and residents. The market has also run docent tours explaining the murals and its history, along with craft workshops.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: 1–1.5 hours to loop through the lanes and snack along the way.
• Hours: shops are generally open 10:00–22:00; closing days vary by shop. There is a car park and toilets.
• Getting there: about a 10-minute walk from exit 1 of Seodong Station on Busan Metro Line 4.
• Tip: the lanes really are confusing, so remember which entrance you came in by. Carry some cash, as it is handier at street stalls and small shops.
• Photos: ask before taking close-ups of traders or their stalls, and don't linger in front of a busy shop.
• Nearby: the Dongnae Eupseong Fortress site (about 1.3 km), Chungnyeolsa Shrine for those who died in the 1592 Japanese invasion (about 1.7 km) and the Dongnae hot springs (about 2 km). Have lunch at the market and carry on to Dongnae for a half-day outing.
• Information: Geumjeong-gu Office, Economy and Industry Division, +82 51-519-4475