Noryangjin is Seoul’s 24-hour wholesale seafood market on the south bank of the Han River. You walk through the market tanks, select live seafood by weight, and have it prepared as sashimi or cooked at restaurants upstairs. Here is the complete guide.
Noryangjin (노량진수산시장) has operated on the south bank of the Han River since 1927. The current market building opened in 2016. Wholesale buyers dominate from midnight to 5 a. Still, the market is genuinely open and active 24 hours, making it ideal for a late-night Seoul dinner experience unlike any other restaurant.
Getting to Noryangjin
Noryangjin Station on Line 1 (dark blue) and Line 9 (gold). Exit 1 leads directly to the market building in about a 2-minute walk. The market is clearly visible from the station exit. Line 1 connects from Seoul Station in about 3 minutes. Line 9 connects from Gangnam (Sinnonhyeon) in about 20 minutes.
The Market Process
Step 1: Enter the market’s lower floor. Walk the aisles past the vendor stalls and tanks. Vendors call prices and point to their best items. Common seafood available: flounder (gwang-eo), sea bream (domi), flathead (nogatsu), crab (ge), sea cucumber (haesam), abalone (jeonbok), sea urchin (uni), and various shellfish.
Step 2: Negotiate a price and quantity point that works for you. Vendors use calculators to show prices. A typical 2-person selection of mixed flounder and shellfish runs from 0,000 to 80,000 won, depending on the season and species. Prices are per 100 grams or per kilogram, depending on the item.
Step 3: Pay the vendor. They clean and bag the seafood and give you a receipt.
Step 4: Take the bag to the upper floor. The restaurants there accept seafood from any vendor and prepare it for a service charge (typically 5,000 to 15,000 won per group, depending on volume). They provide rice, kimchi, side dishes, and sauce.
Step 5: Eat. The sashimi is prepared on the spot: fresh fish, the sound of the market below, and no reservations required.
What to Order
Hoe (회): Raw sashimi sliced to order. Flounder (gwang-eo) is the most popular choice. Sea bream (domi) is slightly more delicate. Sea urchin (uni) is best at the freshest market vendors.
Haemul Jeongol (해물전골): Seafood hotpot. A restaurant upstairs can prepare this from your selection, rich, spicy broth, good for cold nights.
Abalone (전복): Expensive but genuinely fine at Noryangjin. Grilled abalone is one of the best preparations.
Opening Hours and Best Times
The market is technically 24 hours, but the atmosphere varies. The busiest wholesale period is midnight to 5 am when professional buyers move through the market at speed. This is also when prices are lowest, and selection is widest. For tourists, the most practical times are 11 am to 2 pm (busy but manageable) or 8 pm to 11 pm (evening energy, cooler temperatures in summer). The upstairs restaurants are most active in the evening.
Practical Notes
Language: Vendors at Noryangjin have limited English, calculator or communication; pointing works well. The word for sashimi is ‘hoe’ (회). The word for crab is ‘ge’ (게). The word for too expensive is ‘bissayo’ (비싸요).
Transport at night: Line 1 runs until around midnight, Line 9 slightly later. For a late-night departure, Uber in Korea or Kakao Taxi is a practical option.
