Korea Trip 2022: Art and Markets in Jung-gu and Jongno-gu
Rain started falling in the morning of my third day here in Korea. It served as a reminder of the impending typhoon Hinnamnor, the strongest tropical storm of 2022, barreling its way up toward Korea and Japan. The typhoon would no doubt affect my Monday and Tuesday plans, so I decided to shuffle my itinerary around a bit, choosing to visit 종로구 (Jongno-gu).
동대문디자인플라자 (Dongdaemun Design Plaza) | Naver link
The Dongdaemun Design Plaza (also known as DDP) is about a 15-minute walk away from my Airbnb, though the rain - coming in sideways - slowed me down as I walked along 퇴계로 (Toegye-ro) and 장충당로 (Jangchungdan-ro). Still, I pushed on, knowing that the DDP structure would soon grant me shelter.
The DDP is hard to miss, as it’s a wonder to behold. Taking up almost an entire city block, it reminded me of The Bean in Chicago (though I haven’t been there) and looked like the alien ship in the 2016 Denis Villaneuve film Arrival. The DDP’s curves and shapes, particularly on the second sub-street level, offer some excellent spots for photo shoots. Designed by the late Zaha Hadid, the DDP holds exhibitions, shows, forums, conferences, and events.
Originally not knowing a lot about the DDP, I ended up spending quite a bit of time here, exploring its exhibits and spaces. I particularly enjoyed D-숲 (D-Soop), a two-story lounge area located on the first floor. The green patches in the carpet looked like moss, and I found myself drawn to a large art piece that reminded me of the crown of thorns placed on Jesus Christ’s head in the Gospels. The lounge area’s walkways looked like highway bridges from below, adding to the room’s unique design. Walking through the DDP, I came across a lounge/study room called 크레아 (CREA), a members-only library, stores, small exhibits, and a magazine library. On the fourth floor, there’s a children’s play area, and I even accessed a grass hill.
Just as I was about to leave the DDP, I stumbled onto an exhibition titled “The Mind of Tim Burton”. For a price of ₩20,000 ($14.80) for adults, I got to see a collection of Tim Burton’s artworks and concept art from his personal collection, his movies, as well as those he created as a child. The DDP is likely making an absolute killing with this exhibition, as it was very crowded by the time I entered. While I wouldn’t say that Burton is a favorite filmmaker of mine, I appreciated what I saw, especially when it came to a section that showcased some art from his unrealized projects. As it turns out, Burton himself had toured through the exhibition back it first opened, evidenced by footage that they showed at the end. Considering that the exhibition ends soon (it runs until September 12), I was very glad to have caught the tail end of it.
I hadn’t eaten yet, and it was already past noon by the time I left the DDP, so I started making my way over to where I knew I could find really good food. Just as I reached the intersection of Jangchungdan-ro and Jong-no (종로), I also reached 흥인지문 (Heunginjimun), one of the Eight Gates of Seoul in the Fortress Wall of Seoul. Heunginjimun is also commonly known as 동대문 (Dongdaemun). As much as I would have liked to see what was past the gate, unfortunately it was fenced off. While there was a nearby park featuring a section of the fortress wall that I would have gone to, I was too hungry and instead pushed on.
광장시장 (Gwangjang Market) | Naver link
Gwangjang Market is an absolute must-visit for those seeking street food in Seoul. There are alleys dedicated to getting a particular food item. The food stall sections were absolutely packed, as I was nearly shoulder-to-shoulder with other people when moving through the market. Whether I was on the lookout for blood sausage, 비빔밥 (mixed rice), 만두 (dumplings), 빈대떡 (mung bean pancakes), 육회 (raw meat), and much more, I found that if I don’t want to wait at one stall to get a particular item, I could always find another stall or two to get that same item. Stare too long, and your mouth will water as you gaze at the mountains of food piled up at each stall - it’s better to start ordering and eating!
After perusing through the stalls several times, I entered into 광장스넥 (Gwangjang Snack) | Naver link, which specializes in dumplings. I had watched a recent YouTube video highlighting what the user deemed to be the best stalls at the market, and he recommended this spot for their dumplings. My plan was to visit multiple stalls to eat, so I asked for one order of 새우만두 (shrimp dumplings), which costs ₩7,000 (approximately $5.14). The stall steams the dumplings just out front, and my order was placed in front of me within five minutes. These soft dumplings, with one whole shrimp in addition to a mix of chives, pork, and other goodness, were excellent, especially when dipped into soy sauce or eaten with 단무지 (pickled daikon radish). I struck up a friendly conversation with whom I assumed was the owner, and after I told him I came here after watching a YouTube video featuring them, he mentioned that most of their clientele arrive thanks to them featured on YouTube so frequently.
Next up was 부촌육회 본점 (Buchon Raw Beef) | Naver link, which has served this community for at least 60 years with raw meat. After waiting in line for about 10 minutes, I ordered one plate of raw meat, which cost ₩17,000 ($12.58). The raw meat (in this case, beef) is stacked on top of a layer of Korean pear matchsticks and is topped with a raw egg yolk and sesame seeds. My order also came with 고기국 (beef soup with radish), raw garlic and pepper, 쌈장 (ssamjang - a sauce made from fermented soybeans, chili paste, and other condiments), and a sesame oil and salt mixture. I’ve had raw meat before in the form of tartare, but this was next level. The raw meat, thinly cut, had the texture of sashimi and tasted almost sweet, in large part thanks to the Korean pear. When eaten with the garlic, pepper, ssamjang, and sesame oil-salt mix, new dimensions of flavor were unlocked. I had worried beforehand whether I could finish the raw meat (especially if I didn’t end up liking it), but I enjoyed it immensely and had no problem cleaning my plate. As for the soup, it tasted very clean and was very refreshing - a perfect way to end my meal.
My last meal at the market came from 통큰누이네 육회빈대떡 (Tongkeun Nuene Raw Meat and Mung Bean Pancake) | Naver link, which actually seemed to have multiple locations in the market. While they serve a variety of dishes, they’re probably best known for their mung bean pancakes, which they fry in about a half-inch of oil out front. The restaurant seemed pretty packed when I entered, but I was directed to the second floor, which luckily had a couple tables open. Once seated, I ordered one mung bean pancake for ₩5,000 ($3.70), and it came with 반찬 (banchan, also known as side dishes) in the form of kimchi and raw onions dressed in soy sauce. The pancake’s crust was earth-shatteringly crisp, and the pieces of mung bean inside were hot and juicy, pairing very well with the banchan. My stomach was already starting to feel full after just half a pancake, so I slowly took my time eating the other half.
The crowds at the food stalls showed no signs of slowing down, so I opted to explore other areas of the market. Much like how there are alleys dedicated to particular food items, there are also multiple alleys dedicated to items like blankets, pillows, and traditional clothing. I did notice that a lot of these shops were closed, so I didn’t stay for long before heading over to the next market.
중부시장 (Jungbu Market) | Naver link
Jungbu Market, about a 10-minute walk away from Gwangjang Market, isn’t as popular, but it does specialize in one thing, and that’s dried seafood. There are multiple entrances to enter the market, and in my case, I entered from the main northern entrance.
Right before I entered, I stopped at a stall called 수수흑미호떡 (Sorghum Black Rice Hotteok). 호떡 (hotteok) is a type of pancake with a sweet filling, usually consisting of brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamon. While I’ve had hotteok several times, this was the first time I’ve heard of sorghum black rice hotteok (yes, this stall sells its namesake). Plus, I wanted to sit down, so I ordered one hotteok and a cup of 식혜 (sikhye - a sweet rice beverage) for ₩2,500 (approximately $1.83). The hotteok was hot and sweet, and contained what looked like sunflower seeds. The sikhye was just what I needed on this humid day, and I ended up ordering another cup of it for ₩1,000 (approximately $0.73).
Like Gwangjang Market, Jungbu Market also has alleys dedicated to particular food items, though they’re more well defined here. I went down an alley dedicated to 멸치 (anchovies), and the sight of and smells emanating from these mounds of anchovies brought back memories of my mother opening care packages from Korea, and the package would smell of dried anchovies. I also went down an alley dedicated to 다시마 (dried konbu) and saw packages containing large sheets of this dried seaweed. This place even had an alley for 조기 (yellow croaker), a type of fish commonly served at Korean restaurants - for you Americans, if you’ve ever been to Koba Tofu Grill or BCD Tofu House, that’s the fish you can get with your 순두부찌개 (soft tofu stew). As you can imagine, the odors here at the market are pungent, but to me, they are just familiar mainstays of my culture. I also passed by stalls selling fermented seafood and debated getting some, but I opted against it. I did, however, order a small pack of dried figs from a vendor for ₩10,000 (approximately $7.30) on my way out.
Having recorded a large number of steps for the third day in a row, I returned to my Airbnb to rest and call it a day.
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