[🇺🇸] Seoul’s Gwangjang Market Transforms from Food Haven to K-Fashion Hub

Seoul’s historic Gwangjang Market in Jongno District is rapidly transforming from a traditional food market into a new hotspot for K-fashion and K-beauty.

As Korea’s first permanent market, Gwangjang has long been a must-visit destination for tourists seeking authentic Korean street food like yukhoe (beef tartare) and bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes). But in recent years, its atmosphere has shifted dramatically — now, locals joke that visiting famous bakeries and then shopping at brands like Matin Kim or Kodak Apparel has become the new “Gwangjang course.” The market is buzzing again, fueled by young visitors and foreign tourists.

Today, major fashion and beauty names such as Matin Kim, Setter, Frot of the Room, Kirsh, and Kodak Apparel have opened stores within the market, alongside beauty outlet OFFBEAUTY. According to Daemyung Chemical, the company behind OFFBEAUTY, “We wanted to merge the market’s traditional charm with the youthful energy of K-fashion, expanding our connection with global customers and revitalizing a 100-year-old market.”

This trend is supported by rising tourist numbers. In the first half of 2024, 8.83 million foreign visitors came to Korea — up 14.6% year-on-year — and around 1.4 million of them visited the Gwangjang area, ranking it 14th nationwide. Industry experts say Gwangjang Market’s mix of affordable rents, textile infrastructure, and tourism growth has reinvented it as “a K-fashion hub where tradition meets trend.”

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