Jungbu Dried Seafood market (중부시장)

If you're looking for dried seafood and seaweed, this is the place to go. They have everything from dried octopus to scallops to seaweed for sushi/kimbab. The prices there are pretty cheap, at least compared to getting them in Kuala Lumpur and the variety is amazing. Some of the stuff i have no idea what it is 😵 . Prices vary from store to store but there is no big significant difference. It's best to look around and pick a shop and get everything you want from that one shop. This is because if you buy more from a store they tend to give you some freebies or discounts. Or you can say kakachusehyo (카카주새요) which means "pls give me a discount."

The main reason i go to this market is to get my supply of octopus and squid. They are the kind that can be eaten as a snack without cooking it. They even have cuttlefish and monkfish.

It's pretty easy to get to. Just get off at Euljiro 4-ga station and take exit 7. Then turn right, go straight down and you'll see the entrance on your right.

At the end of that street is the station entrance. And this is what you will see out side the entrance.

The main entrance

The map of the market

At the entrance there is a shop that sells Black rice Heoddeok. This is really yummy, it's soft and not too sweet. The only down side is the que.

I bought my snack stash from this lady. She was really nice and we had a chat. Her service compared to the other shops are the best. She greeted us with a smile and even offered us a seat and yogurt drink. What i really like was that she vacum packed all my items. Which made it easier to pack and prevent my luggage from smelling fishy. It also extend it's shelf life.

For 500g of octopus slices it cost 10,000 won (approx Rm 36), Squid strands for 12,000won (Rm 43.20), Angler fish for 12,000won (Rm 43.20) and monkfish for 28,000 won (Rm 100). I also managed to buy a huge bag of sweet potatoe chips for 5,000 won (Rm 18).

Generally you can store the Octopus and squid snacks in the freezer for 2 years. However i forgot about them and left it in the freezer for more than that, and it was just as good as the day i bought it. So i tend to buy huge quantities to last me till my next trip 😊

I didn't have a very good experience at one of the shops. The shop keeper kept trying to hurry us in making decisions and kept saying that there were a lot of customers and they were busy, she kept trying to make us buy stuff we did not want and even sush her colleauge who was trying to be help us. And they did such a terrible job at vacum packing our stuff. It was either sealed in clumps and not flat or the bags were loose. Definitely do not recommend.

A tip if your buying a lot, bring a carry on luggage. That way you won't have to lug all the items around while your exploring Seoul and the bag is still small enough to be convenient.

From this market you can walk to Gwangjang market, which is about a 10-15min walk. You will also pass by an area that sells all kinds of baking and packing/packaging materials. Which was pretty interesting, it's a nice place to visit if you love baking. All you need to do is cross the road from Jungbu market and go straight until you hit Cheonggyecheon Stream.