Hotels near Jagalchi Fish Market

Jagalchi Fish Market is the largest seafood market in South Korea, spread across a seven-storey building on the Nampo waterfront plus the open stalls along Jagalchihaean-ro. Trading starts before dawn on the wholesale floor, and the retail level runs from roughly 05:00 to 22:00. The market grew after the Korean War around the women vendors known as Jagalchi ajumma, who still run most of the ground-floor stands.

The routine is simple: buy live fish downstairs, then carry it to a second-floor restaurant that prepares it as hoe, or raw slices, for a preparation fee of about 10,000 to 15,000 KRW per table. Flounder, sea bream and abalone are the usual picks. Prices are rarely marked, so agree a figure before the fish leaves the tank. The market closes on the first and third Tuesday of every month, which catches out a lot of visitors.

Pro Tip: Ask the price per fish rather than per kilogram, and check it against a second stall before committing. A mid-size flounder should land near 30,000 KRW, not 60,000.