'Scarf ajeossi' and bath products put market on the map
Seoul Dalbit Gastronomic Festival runs Saturday–Wednesday, 6–9 p.m. daily
Chefs Nam Jun-young and Jo Seo-hyeong collaborate on special menus, flea market included
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to serve as 'guest chef' at Saturday's opening
Namdaemun Market, Seoul's iconic traditional market, has been drawing younger crowds and foreign tourists with viral "scarf ajeossi" vendors and an eclectic range of bath products — and now it is adding nightly food events to its growing appeal. Starting Saturday, visitors can also sample dishes by a chef from the hit Netflix show "Culinary Class Wars."
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced it will hold the Seoul Dalbit Gastronomic Festival at Namdaemun Market from Saturday through Wednesday, running from 6 to 9 p.m. each evening. The event takes place along the market's newly built design arcade, which has made shopping there considerably more convenient.
The festival will feature Dalbit Jumak, a pop-up tavern offering special menus created in collaboration with star chefs, alongside Dalbit Jeombang, a curated retail and exhibition space, a flea market called Dalbit Market, and a guided nighttime food tour, Dalbit Gastronomic Tour.
Themed "When night falls, Namdaemun is reborn," the festival reimagines the market's food offerings and signature products as modern culinary and tourism experiences. Organizers said the event is designed to draw foreign tourists and younger visitors through the global popularity of K-food, while extending traditional market activity into the evening hours.
The festival's centerpiece, Dalbit Jumak, will feature special menus developed by owner-chef Nam Jun-young, who operates in the Sinyongsan area, and Jo Seo-hyeong, who appeared on "Culinary Class Wars." Their dishes draw on Namdaemun Market's signature ingredients and foods. Highlights include a seasonal boiled pork with fresh kimchi and a reinterpreted hairtail-topped chicken noodle soup — a nod to one of the market's best-known street foods.
Dalbit Jumak takes its design cues from a Joseon-era tavern, recreating the atmosphere of an old marketplace with hanok eaves and traditional lantern signage. Chefs and staff will greet visitors dressed in traditional Korean attire.
Three additional programs will encourage visitors to explore the wider market. Dalbit Jeombang is a retail and exhibition space presenting the market's signature goods and everyday products through a fresh lens. Dalbit Market is a flea market organized in partnership with the Namdaemun Market merchants' association, with more than 20 vendors taking part.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon will attend the opening ceremony Saturday at 6 p.m., marking the start of the festival alongside residents and tourists. Oh will dress in period-appropriate attire and take on the role of "guest chef" at Dalbit Jumak, serving food alongside the star chefs and engaging directly with visitors to promote the appeal of nighttime tourism at traditional markets through K-food.
The event comes as Namdaemun Market has seen a sharp rise in foreign spending. According to a Seoul tourism and consumption trends report the city released Tuesday, foreign card spending at Namdaemun Market surged 65.6 percent in the first nine months of this year compared with the same period last year. The number of foreign tourists visiting Seoul during that period reached about 13.14 million, up 21.5 percent year on year. Total foreign card spending in Seoul hit 8.84 trillion won ($6.64 billion), a 57.7 percent increase — already surpassing last year's full-year figure in just nine months.
Namdaemun Market draws about 300,000 visitors a day, with annual foot traffic reaching roughly 100 million.
The festival is part of the city's broader "24-Hour Vibrant Economy" initiative, which aims to expand cultural and tourism offerings into the evening to keep visitors spending in local commercial districts. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it plans to roll out nighttime tourism programs to other traditional markets following the Dalbit Gastronomic Festival.
"We hope this festival gives visitors a new travel experience — shopping by day and fine dining by night — and breathes fresh energy into traditional markets," said Jo Seong-ho, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Tourism and Sports Bureau.
ikson@heraldcorp.com
