Get your fresh fruit and vegetables, sample different Korean spices and learn about local traditions at this ancient Busan market.
The Gupo Market in the Buk district of Busan is one of the city’s biggest and most talked about markets. This formerly highly traditional trading hub is slowly adapting to modern times. Come to this covered market to stock up on fresh produce, take colorful pictures and chat with the merchants. If you happen to visit Busan in October, come here for the Friendly Gupo Market Festival.
The market is a local institution. This huge trading hub near the Nakdonggang River dates back to the 17th century, which was the Joseon period, although it wouldn’t have been in a fully covered hall as it is today.
It’s fair to say that the Gupo Market hasn’t always been a hit with Westerners because many of its merchants still sell dogs for consumption, dead or alive, in a separate section of the market. Eating dog meat (gaegogi) has long been culturally accepted in South Korea, but killing dogs for meat has been made illegal after increasing public outcry. However, it is still tolerated in many places in the country.
After pressure from animal activists and the subsequent closing of a high-profile local restaurant that was famous for its “boshintang” (dog stew), activists and concerned locals have recently focused on the “Gupo Dog Meat Market” and appear to have had success. The council has promised to ask the dog meat merchants to leave and offer them compensation. There are plans to build a multilevel parking garage and recreation area here instead.
Just be aware that as of April 2019, this has not yet been achieved. Whether you condone the ancient Asian practice of eating dogs or not, it’s easy enough to avoid those particular stalls because they are outside of the main market hall of the Gupo Market.
Have fun browsing the rest of the market for fresh fruit, dried seafood and fragrant Asian spices. Prices are low and many products can be bought by the ounce or pound, so you can just grab tasters and come back for more if you like it.
Gupo Market is in Buk-gu, in the port city of Busan. To get here, take the green or brown metro line to Deokcheon and turn left after taking exit 3.
