6 Best Places to Go Shopping in Yeosu

Gyodong Market, located near Yeosu Coastal Passenger Terminal, is a traditional market with a long history that began in 1965. As it is adjacent to the passenger terminal, it is a place where fresh seafood caught in the sea off Yeosu is gathered. Although it is mainly a seafood market, it sells a variety of products such as vegetables, fruits, and meat. It is open as a morning market and is only open from 5 am to 2 or 3 pm. In the evening, there is a Pungmul Street Night Market. Try the local food, seafood samhap (fermented hongeo skate, kimchi and steamed pork), at the night market. Samhap, which is stir-fried with pork and aged kimchi accompanied by seafood such as fermented skate, pen shell scallops, jumbo shrimps and octopus, is a good accompaniment to drinks. You can enjoy late-night meals relatively quietly compared to the romantic food stalls.

A traditional market located across the Yeondeungcheon Stream from Gyodong Market, which sells seafood, agricultural products, clothing and daily necessities. Although Gyodong Market opens at dawn, it seems to get quiet in the afternoon, before people suddenly start to gather. There are over 600 shops and street vendors drawing crowds. The food plaza of Seo Market is also a popular spot for tourists, and popular menu items include sashimi, tripe hotpot, pork trotters, seafood pancakes, handmade burgers, and fish cakes. On the days ending on the 4th and 9th, a 5-day market is also open, so you can feel the rich atmosphere of the traditional market.

There are two fish markets specialising in seafood around Yeosu Gyodong Market. Yeosu Fish Market and Yeosu Market Specialising in Seafood Opened in 1968, Yeosu Fish Market is an old market that has been selling seafood to Yeosu citizens and tourists for over 50 years. After a fire in 2017, it was remodelled, and now it looks very neat. Live fish, fresh fish, dried fish and shellfish. In addition to seafood such as dried fish, they also sell salted fish, kimchi, and vegetables. You can buy sashimi on the first floor and pay for the table setting in a restaurant on the second floor.

Near Yeosu Fish Market, there is Yeosu Fishery Specific Market, which modernised the old Gyodong Fish Market. It is a three-story building dedicated to seafood. When it was designated as a shopping and food establishment for tourists during the 2012 Yeosu World Expo, it was further developed. They sell live fish, fish and shellfish, king crab, dried fish, kimchi and salted seafood. You can buy sashimi at the stores on the 1st floor and pay for the table setting in the restaurants on the 2nd floor. As it is located on the beach, you can see Yeosu Port, Jinnamgwan and Dolsan Bridge at a glance.

Dokkaebi Traditional Market in Hak-dong got its name from the fact that the market opens and disappears just like a goblin is said to have appeared around this area in the past. It is a relatively small market that sells household goods, mainly dried fish and seafood. In this rather quiet market, there are many simple restaurants commonly found in traditional markets, selling pork trotters, pork soup, chicken, mandu (dumplings), steamed anglerfish and meat.