Nambu Market & Youth Night Market, Jeonju

고려 · CC BY 4.0

A two-hundred-year-old market whose abandoned upper floor was taken over by young traders.

Nambu market dates from the 18th century and, like every traditional Korean market, was dying against the supermarkets. Then in 2011 the city let young people rent the empty second floor for almost nothing — and they opened kitchens, craft studios and small bars. At the same time, on Friday and Saturday nights, the aisle down the middle turns into a night market run by those same young traders. The result is a market with two rhythms: by day, women selling vegetables and traditional chilli paste; by night, pork buns and cocktails. Jeonju is Korea's food capital, and its bibimbap costs far less here than in the hanok quarter.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Nambu Market & Youth Night Market, Jeonju?

Year-round; weekend evenings

How long do you need at Nambu Market & Youth Night Market, Jeonju?

2 hours

What are the opening hours of Nambu Market & Youth Night Market, Jeonju?

Day market 07:00–20:00; the night market runs only on Friday and Saturday evenings, 17:00–23:00, with about 45 stalls along a 250 m aisle

Did you know

Nambu market dates from the 18th century and is Jeonju's largest traditional market.
Its disused second floor has been let to young entrepreneurs since 2011.
The youth night market runs on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Jeonju was named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy in 2012.

Travel tips

Go on a Friday or Saturday evening to catch both the day and night markets.
Bibimbap in the market is cheaper than in the hanok village and no worse.
It is about 10 minutes on foot from Jeonju Hanok Village.

Source: https://tour.jeonju.go.kr/board/view.jeonju?boardId=BBS_0000003&dataSid=16085

Updated: 2026-08-05