Jagalchi Market sits right on the harbor in Busan’s Nampo-dong and is often called Korea’s largest seafood market. The name is said to come from the pebble beach (jagal means gravel) that once lined this shore.
How to enjoy it
- Browse — tanks and tables of fish, clams, sea cucumbers and octopus. It’s a spectacle.
- Eat fresh — buy seafood on the ground floor and have it served upstairs as sashimi, grilled fish or spicy stew.
- Try kkomjangeo — grilled hagfish, a Busan favorite sold in the lanes around the market.
Around the market
The vendors’ famous greeting, “Oiso, boiso, saiso” (come in, take a look, buy something) in thick Busan dialect, sums up the spirit of the place. It’s near Jagalchi Station (Line 1), and Gukje Market, BIFF Square and Bupyeong Kkangtong Market are all within walking distance.