Jagalchi . Seafood Market

Jagalchi Market, located on a coastal road in Jung-gu, Busan, is the largest seafood market in Korea, selling both raw and dried fish. After the Korean War, this market became a fish market. This market represents Busan and is famous throughout the country. The market is located between Ch'ungmu-dong and Namp'o-dong, right next to Pusan Port. It has two main areas: one for fresh seafood, another for dried seafood. The name of the area is derived from Jagal (small rock) and ch'i (a purely Korean word describing villages next to the coast). Initially, this area had many small rocks. In modern times, a jetty has been built and most of the area is concreted with buildings, so there is no trace of the name. Most of the fishmongers here are women, so they are often referred to by locals as Jagalchi Ajumma, "ajumma" which means middle-aged or married woman in Korean.

Compared to other fish markets in Korea, Jagalchi Market ranks high for public transport accessibility, wide variety of live seafood, nice atmosphere with outdoor street performances on some days and great sea view. It's relatively clean excluding the outdoor market part.

The western part of the market mainly sells live and fresh seafood. Fish and shellfish are caught daily and sold fresh to the consumer, almost right on the boat. This area has tanks containing all kinds of fish, eels, squid, oysters and mollusks. Some areas have workers preparing seafood for long-term preservation. Visitors can watch the fish being scaled, decapitated, chopped and frozen, all in record time.

The eastern part of the market specializes in selling dried seafood. This is the largest wholesale market of dried fish and seafood in Korea. Visitors can find dried squid, octopus, seaweed, anchovies, orcas and cod brought from all over the peninsula.

Guests can purchase raw seafood on the ground floor and bring it to one of the many restaurants on the second floor for processing and serving for an additional fee; Or simply go to the restaurant and choose the dishes to experience. In addition, there is a seafood buffet restaurant on the 5th floor, where many locals and tourists visit if they want to enjoy fresh seafood right at the market.

Address: 37-1 4-ga Nampo-dong, Joong-gu, Busan

Opening hours: daily 08:00 – 22:00