Seomun Market

Walk past fabric halls piled high with bolts of cloth, wander into alleys of small food stalls, and after dark the road outside fills with the lights of street stalls. Seomun Market is Daegu's largest traditional market, with more than 4,000 shops across six sections. It is a working market for locals first, which makes it a good place to see everyday Daegu up close.

History: one of Joseon's three great markets

Its roots go back to a market held outside the north gate of Daegu's walled town in the mid-Joseon period. Known as the Daegu Market, it ranked with the markets of Hanyang (Seoul) and Pyongyang as one of the three largest in the kingdom. It later moved outside the west gate, hence the name Seomun, "West Gate". The current site is land reclaimed in 1920, under Japanese rule, by filling in a reservoir called Cheonhwangdangji.

The market has survived several major fires. In 2005 Section 2 burned, and in November 2016 a fire destroyed most of Section 4; each time it was rebuilt. A permanent night market opened in June 2016 and was named a "Star of Korean Tourism" in 2017. Since 2019 it has been listed every year among the official "100 Must-Visit Tourist Spots of Korea".

What to see

• Textile halls: fabric is the market's core trade. Floor after floor of cloth, silk, bedding, underwear and needlework shops reflect Daegu's textile industry.
• Dried seafood and kitchenware: plenty of stalls for dried fish, dishes, cooking tools and household goods.
• Food alleys: street stalls and small eateries are scattered throughout. Some old alleys are still named after the dishes once sold there.
• Seomun Night Market: food and goods stalls line the road in front of the market.

Nearby

Right next to the market are Daegu's modern history alleys, with the missionary houses on Cheongna Hill, the old buildings of Keisung school and the March 1st Movement Road. Daegu Art Factory and Dalseong Park are also close.

Good to know

In 1770, late in the Joseon period, Daegu alone had nine five-day markets, and the market outside the west gate grew further when it merged with the Chilgok market. After moving to the present site, it received a public market licence in 1922, and in the 1970s the buildings of Sections 1, 2, 4 and 5 went up one after another. Major fires also struck in 1960, 1967 and 1975. The night market, opened in 2016, had reportedly drawn 38 million visitors by December 2019.

Tripto tips

• Hours: the market is listed as 09:00–18:00; the night market runs Friday–Saturday 19:00–23:30 and Sunday 19:00–22:30, and is closed Monday to Thursday. Individual shops vary.
• Closing days: many shops close on the first and third Sundays of the month; this varies by shop.
• Getting there: Seomun Market Station on Daegu Metro Line 3 is the closest; Cheongna Hill Station on Line 2 is also walkable. There are about 800 parking spaces.
• Time needed: 1–2 hours for browsing and a meal; set aside an evening for the night market.
• Payment: most shops take cards, but cash is handy at street stalls.