4,9 Market – Songtan Street Market

One of the key marking events in South Korea is the local street market. Many neighborhoods (or -dongs as their referred to here) will have a local market. These markets will sell the local fare and food, usually at a much cheaper price than you might find at regular stores. Our local market was the Songtan Street Market.

4,9 Market – Songtan Street Market

Where we were in Songtan, we had what we refer to as the 4,9 Market. That’s because the market would always occur on a day that ended in 4 or 9 (such as 14, or 19). It was always crowded and pretty hectic here. Vendors would set up shop in the streets and alley ways to sell clothes, wares, and above all else – food.

So Many Fish

Here was were we would find the largest selection of sea food: Hundreds of fish of different kinds, squid, live octopus, cuttlefish, eel, clam, oyster, shrimp, and seaweeds. The selection was really quite awe-inspiring, and of course at great prices. Some vendors would be selling whole fish, others would be cleaning it, some would have frozen fish on string.

They Have What You Need

Of course, they also sold other food, and you could find a local butcher to get your pork, beef, or chicken. There were of course, other items that I really couldn’t tell you what they were. I’d like to know – but without a better understanding of Korean, I don’t think I could ask or figure it out.

These markets tend to be run by older locals, so knowledge of English is pretty limited here. Of course, like all good markets, there is one language that everyone understands here: money. But cash only, it really need not be said that you’ll be hard pressed to find a vendor that will accept a credit or debit card, so come prepared if you want to purchase something.

The markets are also a great place to purchase your fruits and vegetables. They can be difficult to find in standard stores and will be pricier when you find them. Various grains, beans, and rices can also be purchased here by the Kilo. Even some nuts appear depending on the season (mainly chestnuts in our experience).

Cheap and Quick Meals

If you’re hungry right at the moment, you can also purchase any number of items from the various street carts for a quick cheap meal. Fish cakes tend to be found at every cart, but you can also find rice cakes, hotteok, squid. It’s definitely worth taking a closer look, as it’s at these food stands that you’re likely to run across a true local preparation.

So if you find yourself in South Korea, you should find a local street market and check it out. It’s certainly worth the excursion. And if you’re in the area, check out the Songtan Street Market.

4,9 Market – Songtan Street Market