Exploring Noryangjin, Seoul’s largest indoor seafood market

With its cramped aisles, bustling trolleys zipping in and out, and skilled chefs crafting fresh sashimi with expert precision, Noryangjin Fish Market in Seoul offers a thrilling experience for adventurous food lovers.

Founded in 1927, Noryangjin is the largest indoor seafood market in Seoul, providing an authentic glimpse into the ocean’s abundance in a lively, no-nonsense market that operates 24/7, 365 days a year.

The market relocated to its current location in 1971, and underwent a significant modernization in 2015. Its vast eight-story complex is home to hundreds of vendors, many of whom operate without formal names or numbers.

Noryangjin handles approximately half of the seafood consumed in Seoul, with official figures indicating that around 250 to 300 tons of seafood are traded every day.

Seafood is brought in from ports across the country to meet the high demand.

The market is open around the clock, but the real excitement kicks off with the early morning auctions — and by early, we mean starting at 1 a.m.

Some may feel uneasy locking eyes with the fish they’re about to consume, or find the blood-stained floors a bit unsettling, but more often than not, the lure of fresh seafood wins out.

You can handpick seafood straight from the tanks, and the fishmongers will prepare it for you on the spot. Nearby restaurants will even cook up the fresh catch for you. It’s not glamorous, but that’s part of its charm and why it tastes so good.

While prices at Noryangjin are typically 20-30% lower than those at larger, nearby stores, haggling is still common. Just keep in mind that the vendors wield large, sharp knives, so it’s best to stay calm and collected.

Watch the videos above for an inside look at Seoul's Noryangjin Fish Market.

Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market, located at 674 Nodeul-ro, Noryangjin 1(il)-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea. For inquiries, call +82-2-2254-8003.