Every week, my mother-in-law comes home from Gyeongdong Market with her two-wheeled shopping trolley packed with mysterious herbs and vegetables. As she unpacks, the house fills with strong, earthy scents of twines, leaves, and roots I can’t even begin to name.
I was curious. I had questions.
So, one Saturday, Jin took me to the market to show me where her mom does her weekly vegetable shopping.
A world away from Seoul’s usual tourist spots, Gyeongdong Market (경동시장, sometimes also romanized as Kyungdong Market) is a captivating place. I loved its sights, smells and sounds, and it’s a great place to take photos.
After exploring the market, we also visited the Seoul K-Medi Center, just across the street from Gyeongdong Market, where we got a modern introduction to traditional Korean medicine. It was a fascinating look at a centuries-old practice still shaping daily life.
A trip to Gyeongdong Market and the K-Medi Center is a full sensory experience. If you want an authentic glimpse into traditional Korea in the 21st century, set aside a few hours on your Seoul itinerary to visit these places.
In this post, I’ll take you along on a visual journey. Sadly, even if you hit ctrl+shift+1234+spacebar at once, you won’t smell or hear the market like we did, so lots of photos will have to do.
Please note: This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase by clicking a link (at no extra cost to you).
A Bit About Gyeongdong Market
Gyeongdong Market, established in 1960, is one of Seoul’s most iconic traditional markets. Located in the Jegi-dong neighbourhood of Dongdaemun District, it was originally an agricultural market specializing in local produce such as chili peppers, garlic, and various vegetables.
Over the years, it’s grown into the heart of South Korea’s herbal medicine trade, supplying around 70% of the country’s medicinal ingredients. But it’s not just about traditional remedies. These days, many Korean households swear by a healthy diet rich in mountain vegetables and herbs, and Gyeongdong Market is the go-to place for it.
This market is massive, covering about 300,000 square meters. That’s roughly five times the size of Seoul’s World Cup Stadium. It’s famous for its extensive selection of doraji (도라지), deodeok (더덕), and other medicinal herbs. That’s usually why my mother-in-law makes the weekly trip to Gyeongdong Market.
Besides medicinal twigs and roots there is a fuckton of fresh produce, from garlic to seasonal fruit and fish and everything in between.
A Walk Through Gyeongdong Market
The bus dropped us off just across the street from Exit 5 of Gyeongdong Market. The moment we stepped in, it was like entering a different world. Stalls overflowed with sacks of roots, seaweed, jujubes, mushrooms, and other unidentified vegetative objects (UVO).
Vendors called out their best deals, and the air carried a mix of ginseng, ginger, and something unfamiliar yet oddly comforting. The market was PACKED with shoppers, young and old.
It was a sensory overload in the best way possible.
We wander into Doraji Alley, where grandmas sit behind boxes overflowing with roots. Most signs proudly display 국산 (kuksan, meaning domestically produced). No true Korean would buy anything else; kuksan is the gold standard for quality.
As expected in Doraji Alley, we pass a seemingly endless supply of doraji (도라지, balloon flower root), most of them labeled as coming from Gangwon Province. The signs leave no doubt—this is the good stuff.
Doraji is a staple in both Korean medicine and cuisine. Native to Korea, China, and Japan, it’s believed to soothe sore throats, improve lung health, and boost the immune system. People brew it into tea or mix it with honey for a natural remedy.
Then there’s deodeok (더덕, lance asiabell root). Used to treat asthma, bronchitis, and coughs, it’s also said to have anti-cancer properties. It happens to be one of my favorite side dishes my mother-in-law makes. She peels them, gives one hit with a mallet, and drizzles on her secret dressing to make a crunchy, herby salad. It’s absolutely delicious.
Deeper into the market, we find more UVOs, fruit, vegetables, eggs, fish, and meat in every shape and size. Since we visited in the fall, mountains of persimmons were on display, with shoppers eagerly scooping them up.
Then there were the more unique finds—bags of beondegi (silkworm pupa), a classic Korean snack, and a mesh bag containing an entire hornet’s nest, wasps included. We’re not sure whether they are used for medicine, but if they were, that must make for a powerful concoction!
Starbucks Kyungdong 1960
After seeing the market, we planned on taking a coffee break at Starbucks Kyungdong 1960, one of the trendiest coffee spots in Seoul. But it was completely full, so we decided just to look around.
Just inside from Exit 5 at Gyeongdong Market, Starbucks Kyungdong 1960 is definitely not your regular Starbucks. Opened in December 2022, this Starbucks occupies the restored Gyeongdong Theater, originally built in 1962 and closed in the 1990s.
The renovation preserves the theater’s original architectural features, including tiered seating and high ceilings, creating a nostalgic 1960s ambiance. The café spans two floors, with all the seats arranged facing forward in the original audience layout.
Wellness Experiences at K-Medi Center
The Seoul K-Medi Center is a wellness hub that blends history, education, and hands-on experiences to showcase Korea’s centuries-old healing traditions.
One of its offerings is the Yakseon Food Experience, where you prepare medicinal food under the guidance of a master of traditional Korean medicine. This hands-on experience shows you how diet influences overall health.
That sounded a little too much like work to us, so we opted for the relaxation route instead. For 15,000 won, we enjoyed a foot bath and a mechanical massage, which also came with a cup of medicinal tea on Yangnyeongsi, the famous Oriental medicine street behind the center.
A visit to the K-Medi Center is designed to be both relaxing and educational, making it an easy and accessible way to dip into traditional wellness. Whether you’re curious about herbal healing or just looking for a peaceful break, it’s a refreshing escape from Seoul’s usual tourist spots.
Foot Bath at K-Medi Center
The hot footbath at the K-Medi Center was pure relaxation. Sitting on the wooden floor, we dangled our feet into a warm, herb-infused tub built into the floor.
The bath was located outdoors on the second floor, under a covered roof but open on the sides, offering a refreshing breeze and a peaceful view of the traditional teahouse below. The soothing heat and herbal aroma , made the 20-minute soak feel like a mini retreat.
K-Medi Center Museum
With some time to kill between our footbath and massage, we decided to check out the K-Medi Center’s museum. We were in and out in about five minutes.
The displays, in both English and Korean, showcase the history and principles of traditional Korean medicine, but unless you’re really into Korean herbal medicine, there’s not much to hold your attention.
It’s a small, well-organized space, but we found it more of a quick curiosity stop than a must-see. If you’re deeply interested in traditional healing practices, you might enjoy it more.
Herbal Medicine Tea in Yangnyeongsi Market
With still more time to kill before our massage, we wandered over to Yangnyeongsi Market, a street lined with traditional medicine stores and herbal pharmacies. Included in our K-Medi Center experience was a drink at a medicinal tea shop in Yangnyeongsi. When we arrived, it was half old-school pharmacy, half café.
There are three medicinal teas to choose from. Jin chose a pink drink that smelled floral but had a surprisingly sour taste. Meanwhile, I went for a dark, almost black tea (colour coding with my soul), with seeds floating on the surface. It was intensely bitter—somewhere between cough syrup and, if I had to describe it, the taste of the earth itself.
It was not exactly pleasant, but hopefully packed with health benefits.
Massage at K Medi Center
Finally, it was time for our massage, and we returned to the K-Medi Center. It’s not even 100 meters from the cafe
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from a 15,000-won massage that included a foot bath and free drink. It seemed too good to be true. Turns out there were no human therapists involved, just machines.
I guess that is what the future of traditional healing might look like in the future.
The first part was self-hand acupressure, which was as odd as it sounds. We squeezed massage gel into plastic gloves, put them on, and then stuck our hands into a mechanical hand massager.
For 15 minutes, it squeezed and kneaded our hands while we sat there, waiting for it to be over. It felt weird, was pretty boring, and honestly, I wouldn’t do it again.
The body massage was altogether a different story. We lay on thermal massage mats and put on sleeping masks, and suddenly, the mat started thumping our backs with loud, rhythmic bangs. It felt like getting severely beaten with bamboo—in the best way possible.
For more info on the experiences on offer, here is the K-Medi Center website.
Overall, we had a great day exploring this part of Seoul. Except for that ridiculous hand massage, I can easily do it again. Best of all, it made us feel like we were doing something good for our bodies. Let us know in the comments below if you have any questions about Gyeongdong Market or K-Medi Centre
✌️