Hwanghak-dong Market, the Place to Find Almost Anything
If you think public markets don't exist in Korea, you are wrong. Hwanghak-dong market is the place to go for new and used goods. Anyone from the rich antique collector to the poor student will find something of value there, where prices range from 1,000 won up to and beyond 1 million won.
Just about anything can be found there, from national treasures to broken remote controls. Anything old is new at Hwanghak-dong. Used items that once were thought of as trash can be found, such as scissors used by a taffy merchant, and old doors from traditional Korean homes. Additionally you can see men selling snakes, or a crowd of people being entertained by a magician.
In the Hwanghak-dong market there are 500 stands close together. They sell the used household articles, used goods, even merchandise that is sold in department stores. One can find a variety of goods such as writing materials for the children, antiquities, old paintings and writings, compass's, old cameras, balls, perfume, cosmetic articles, coffee, a spoon and chopsticks, stamps, old bills, travel articles, hairdressing appliances, statues of Buddha, clothes, stockings, and other accessories, and the list goes on.
If its something for the house you need, then stop by. Here cafe managers, students, collectors of antiques, and foreigners can be found, due to the variety of merchandise.
In addition, there are stores selling all kinds of electronic goods. You can buy brand-new merchandises at 30-40 % less than open market prices. The best deals come with bargaining, and this applies to not only the electronics, but everything sold.
In addition, in the middle lane of Hwanghak-dong market, there are places where merchants sell unusual food such as the small intestine of pig, cooked by baking it with spices in a pan.
Hwanghak-dong is near Dongdaemun Market, so if you plan to go shopping at Dongdaemun, we recommend you look around the Hwanghak-dong area as well.
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