A Stroll Through Mangwon Market
Visitors to Seoul should all spare some time to experience Korea’s vibrant culture, unique foods, and shop for great bargains at the city’s world famous markets. Most visitors are attracted to the well-known markets of Seoul, such as the Gwangjang Market, Namdaemun Market, or the Noryangjin Fish Market. While these markets are full of great food and good buys, they lack the “small town feeling” local markets of yesteryear once had, and are full of tourists busy snapping photos for their social media–Why even bother?
In Seoul’s Mapo-gu, known for being home to the vibrant youth neighborhood of Hongdae, lies a hidden a gem…Mangwon Market!
The Mangwon Market is located in the Mangwon-dong of Mapo-gu, just a few minutes walk from Hongdae, Hapjeong-dong, and the Han River. It’s central location makes it the perfect stop to shop for delicious foods and snacks before heading over to the Han River for a picnic.
The market itself is a no-frills experience, for the most part there are no tourists and no gimmicks, it’s the best way to shop like a local! The produce is always fresh and you can’t beat the low prices anywhere else, best of all is knowing that the foods are delivered from the farmer directly to you!
Here you can find everything from farm fresh produce to Jokbal; Korean-style pork feet, Korean-style fried chicken, delicious baked goods, and enough sweets to satisfy even the biggest sweet tooth.
Mangwon Market is also ahead of its time, visitors to the market can pay with T-Money cards just like you would on the subway, bus, or taxi. Some stalls even offer discounts to those using their T-Money cards after arriving using public transportation.
The market is great for the tourist wanting to experience Korea through a local’s perspective, international students on a tight budget, and expats looking to ditch the confines of Homeplus.
What’re you waiting for? Hop on the subway, grab a bike–Let’s go to the Mangwon Market!
DIRECTIONS:
Take the Seoul Metropolitan Subway to Mangwon Station (망원역) on Line 6. From exit 2 of Mangwon Station, make a u-turn and continue walking for about 5 minutes before seeing the entrance to the market to your right.
서울특별시 마포구 망원동 포은로8길
Seoul Mapo-gu Mangwon-dong Poeun-ro 8-gil