Foreign tourists, international residents seek fair prices and local flavors in Seoul’s lesser-known traditional markets

Foreign visitors to Seoul and international residents are heading to traditional markets where prices are clear upfront — or where locals shop and bargains are common. 

They are especially flocking to lesser-known markets such as Mangwon Market in Mangwon-dong, western Seoul, and Gyeongdong Market and Cheongnyangni Fruit and Vegetable Market in Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul. 

Foreign credit card spending in Mangwon 1-dong, the neighborhood where Mangwon Market is located, totaled 5.33 billion won ($4 million) between January and August of this year, up 106.6 percent on year, according to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). The figure already exceeds the 4.53 billion won spent in the neighborhood in all of 2025. 

Monthly spending rose between 97 and 122 percent on year in each of those eight months. 

In Dongdaemun District’s Jegi-dong, home to both Cheongnyangni Vegetable and Fruit Market and Gyeongdong Market, foreign credit card spending in the first eight months of the year totaled 2.65 billion won, up 90.5 percent from 1.39 billion won a year earlier. 

Sales at the markets themselves point in the same direction. Restaurant sales at Mangwon Market rose 60 percent in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year, the fastest growth among 175 Seoul traditional markets with first half sales of at least 1 billion won, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. 

Produce sales at Gyeongdong Market rose 23.4 percent over the same period. 

No more rip-offs 

Price is only one reason travelers visit a particular market. The variety of food on offer, seating availability, payment options and neighborhood atmosphere all factor into the decision. 

Indeed, all those factors were on full display at Mangwon Market on late Friday afternoon. 

Foreign visitors outnumbered locals in the alleys, hotteok (sweet pancakes), dakgangjeong (sweet and spicy fried chicken) and jeon (savory pancakes) in hand. A sign hanging from the ceiling welcomed visitors in four languages.

Keeping prices steady falls to the market’s merchants’ association, which monitors its members’ stalls instead of waiting for complaints. According to an association representative, the organization hires people to buy items from its vendors to compare prices and portions, then shares guidance with merchants in a KakaoTalk group chat. The local government and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups also post price and customer service notices in the same chat. 

“The association sends down guidelines, keeps things orderly and manages it so prices don’t go up too much,” said the owner of a croquette shop. “It’s a fixed-price system, so there’s no need to haggle.” 

“On weekdays, half of my customers are foreign tourists, and on weekends it’s more than half,” they added. “Most of them are from China and English-speaking countries.” 

The owner of Mangwon Dakgangjeong, a popular Korean-style fried chicken joint, said vendors had decided against raising prices even as foreign customers poured in starting this spring. 

“We don’t only serve foreigners at our prices,” she said. “We serve people from the neighborhood, too.” 

From the other side of the counter, visitors describe a market that is easy to enjoy. 

Every stall at Mangwon Market displays fixed prices, menus are available in English and QR codes offer translations and mobile payments. 

“Compared to other markets, Mangwon has more sit-down areas, and much more variety in food here,” said Devin, a visitor from New York. “Here you can use cash, card and mobile apps. That is much of the attraction for foreign visitors.” 

Jade, a French visitor, wandered in from a nearby hotel. 

“I had hotteok, gimbap [rice rolls], all the local food and tried different things,” she said. “I prefer this place because it feels more local, and there’s a lot of variety for shopping.” 

Word has spread online, too. Zara, a New Zealander spending three months in Seoul, first found Mangwon on TikTok, where she said it is known as “less tourist-trappy” and reasonably priced. 

The contrast with Gwangjang Market — long a popular tourist destination — is stark. Its street food merchants have faced repeated accusations of wanton overcharging, prompting Seoul’s city government and Jongno District to send in secret inspectors this year to police prices. Vendors there say business has fallen by more than half compared to last year. Though this may be an exaggeration, KTO data shows that restaurant sales at the market in the first half of the year fell 12.4 percent on year. 

Old stalls, new tools 

Government-backed technology is giving the markets a digital upgrade. 

In March, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the KTO picked Mangwon and Gyeongdong markets as Seoul’s two entries among 11 traditional markets nationwide for the K-Tourism Market program, which supports fixed pricing, payment infrastructure and multilingual services. Gwangjang was not selected. 

In June, the KTO selected tech companies to test AI services at six of the markets, including Mangwon and Gyeongdong. At Mangwon, the QR codes on the stalls also link to maps that point visitors to nearby tourist attractions, according to the merchants’ association representative. 

Where locals shop for bargains 

The same desire for value appears to be drawing foreign shoppers beyond street food. 

The market district around Cheongnyangni Station includes some of the city’s largest produce markets by sales, and some fruit vendors say foreign customers are now a regular sight. 

Many of the foreigners who visit the market appear to be residents, rather than tourists. 

“A lot of people from Vietnam and Cambodia come here,” said the owner of Dooseong Sangsa, a fruit shop at Cheongnyangni Vegetable and Fruit Market. “They all speak a little Korean. Many exchange students come, too. They buy a lot of apples, and compared with last year, they definitely come more.” 

Most of them live in Seoul, vendors say. 

“I think there are more foreigners who live here than tourists,” said the owner of Jeongjae Sanghoe, another fruit shop. “More of them speak a little Korean than none at all. They buy apples and tangerines, and they come mostly from Friday to Sunday, after 5 p.m.” 

Next door, Gyeongdong Market, known for its herbal medicine shops, has seen produce sales grow faster than at most traditional markets in the city. The 23.4 percent rise in its first half produce sales ranked fourth among the 24 traditional markets in Seoul with more than 5 billion won in half year produce sales, according to the city data. 

Price is the draw. Gloria, a professor from the United States who has lived in Korea for over a decade, had kiwis, apples, grapes and bananas in her bags. 

“I have a big family, so this is much cheaper than the supermarket,” she said. “I tell Koreans about this market. They say, ‘I never knew this place was that good.’” 

BY KIM HA-YOON [[email protected]]