[360 Trip to Korea] Gyeongdong Market 🇰🇷 Seoul’s Traditional Medicine & Street Food Bazaar

Gyeongdong Market, located in the eastern part of Seoul, is one of Korea’s largest and most historic traditional markets — renowned especially for its herbal medicine trade and authentic local atmosphere.

Established in the 1960s, the market grew into the country’s primary distribution hub for traditional Korean medicinal ingredients. Today, thousands of herbal shops line the alleys, displaying dried roots, ginseng, medicinal herbs, and natural remedies that have been used in Korean healing practices for centuries.

Walking through the market is a sensory journey. The earthy aroma of herbs fills the air, while vendors prepare tonics, teas, and medicinal blends using time-honored methods passed down through generations.

Beyond herbal medicine, Gyeongdong Market also offers fresh produce, seafood, grains, and a lively street food scene that caters mostly to locals rather than tourists — giving visitors a glimpse of Seoul’s everyday life.

Unlike polished shopping districts, this market retains its raw, unfiltered character — a place where commerce, tradition, and community intersect.

Whether you arrive searching for wellness, cultural insight, or culinary curiosity, Gyeongdong Market offers a deeper, more grounded layer of Seoul’s identity.