Jagalchi Fish Market

Mobius6 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Korea's largest seafood market, where you pick your fish downstairs and eat it upstairs.

Jagalchi was built up after the war by the women who sold the fish — the jagalchi ajumma — and it is still they who stand behind the tanks. The ground floor is hundreds of stalls of octopus, flounder, sea cucumber and shellfish; you point at what you want, they prepare it on the spot, and you carry it upstairs where a small fee turns it into a plate of sashimi. Outside is Nampo fishing harbour, where the boats come in at dawn and the auction rings down the quay.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Jagalchi Fish Market?

Year-round

How long do you need at Jagalchi Fish Market?

1.5–2 hours

What are the opening hours of Jagalchi Fish Market?

05:00–22:00, closed the first and third Tuesday of each month

Did you know

The largest seafood market in Korea, trading since 1945.
The current building, shaped like a wave, opened in 2006.
Level one sells live seafood; level two prepares it for you.
The Jagalchi Festival is held each October.

Travel tips

Agree the price and the preparation fee before anything is cut.
Come before 9am to see the market working properly.
Combine with Gukje Market and BIFF Square next door.

Source: https://www.bisco.or.kr/jagalchimarket/sub/sub02/sub02_1/

Updated: 2026-08-04