Markets for everything from pig skin to jujube

27th in the series | Traditional Markets

Moran Market, named after the Korean word for peony, is hardly

as tranquil as its name suggests. This market bustles. Shoppers

bargain in loud voices and merchants beat out strange

rhythms with their hands to attract buyers for exotic creatures like crawling

turtles and dried centipedes, which are claimed to have medicinal

properties.

There are diners slurping noodles, merchants passing out cups of exotic

root drinks and peddlers haggling over caged rabbits, cats, goats, chickens

and ducks. Even the ever-notorious dog meat can be found, at around

150,000 won for one kilo.

In the midst of the pandemonium, some shoppers pause to enjoy foodstuffs

from the past that are hard to find elsewhere, like patguksu, noodle

soup made with red bean paste, and delicacies like fried pig skin and various

types of offal, served hot from sizzling grills.

A visit to Moran Market is like a trip to Korea’s past. Visitors seem

pleasantly energized by its rowdy ambience.

Korean poet Kim Hyeong-su describes the mentality of shoppers at

these traditional bazaars in his poem “Countryside Market.” He writes that

villagers flock to the market to cure their loneliness. The poem was recorded

as a song by the vocalist Jang Sa-ik.

Koreans use the expression shijang badak or “market floor” to refer to

the dizzying crowds and their noisy surroundings. While strolling

through Moran Market, one begins to understand what that means.

Over 2,000 vendors visit the market in high season, attracting over

50,000 clients. The market opens on dates that end in 4 and 9. Immediately

before holidays, when prices of produce and meat soar, even in discount

stores, traditional markets become a popular place to find a bargain.

“There is a traditional market only 10 minutes from my house,” said

a young male shopper. “It’s a far better alternative because you can browse

through different stalls and bargain before you actually buy anything. It’s

also fun to be somewhere with so many people. It means there is something

special to see.”

The history of Moran Market is typical of a traditional Korean bazaar.

Stories vary about its origin, but experts note that a five-day market has

existed in the area since the Joseon Dynasty.

When the Korean War broke out, refugees fleeing Pyongyang created

a town for themselves near the market, naming it Moran Bang or Peony

Peak. During the 1960s, Koreans moved from the countryside to cities,

building houses without permits around the market.

As an alternative, the local government built a town for the illegal residents.

Even so, the market was a headache for government officials because

it caused major traffic congestion near the city bus terminal. It was on the

verge of being closed until 1990, when the market relocated behind the

terminal, with an ambitious plan to spread Korea’s cultural heritage to foreign

tourists.

Aside from Moran Market, the largest traditional market around

Seoul, most cities and townships in rural Korea still have one or two small

outdoor markets. Some sell sundry items like food, socks and carpenters’

tools. Other markets are more specialized, like the medicine market at

Yakryeong, near Daegu; the ox market in Hyeongryong and a ceramics

market in Gwangju.

In “Markets of Korea” by Joo Young-ha, an associate professor in the

department of folklore at the Graduate School of the Academy of Korean

Studies, writes that open-air markets in Korea were more than they

appeared, evolving into sites for networking, information-sharing and

entertainment.

In the original farming society of Korea, merchants used to travel

around different markets across the country. Wagon trains of vendors

moving from market to market were a common sight.

Before the notion of a work week was established, market days were

equivalent to holidays because the market was often the site for village

entertainment like wrestling competitions. It was also a place for getting

acquainted with new neighbors and arranging marriages for one’s children.

Traditionally in Korea, outdoor countryside markets opened every five

to seven days, mainly because of the small population mand limited supply

of goods. Their main purpose was for merchants to sell their small

stocks of necessities, such as seafood, homegrown vegetables and crafts,

to villagers, compensating for a dearth of other sources of retail distribution.

Markets were also the first place to get a sense of any major social

changes that might have been taking place in Korea.

The markets also tended to be places where imports made their first

appearance. During the colonial occupation, imported items from Japan,

many of which had never before been seen in Korea, appeared on market

stalls.

The same phenomenon occurs today with unusual foreign foodstuffs

often appearing on stalls in traditional markets before they show up elsewhere.

Markets in Korea were also a site for political activism.

When the Independence Movement swept the country in 1919,

activists deliberately chose to demonstrate on dates when markets were

open, in order to attract the biggest crowds. Things haven’t changed much.

Now, before every election, one of the most common scenes on TV is a

candidate showing off his friendships with merchants, shaking hands and

sampling food while his campaign truck slowly rolls by playing his election

songs.

Today, the new tradition of city markets has taken over. Now urban

markets resemble department stores. Typical urban markets such as Namdaemun

and Dongdaemun, both of which have devloped from traditionaol

roots, even own their own factories and offer a mix of products

both imports and exports ? at wholesale prices.

Like any department store, they serve as major shopping attractions

for tourists and stay open every day past midnight.

myfeast@joongang.co.kr

Korean markets and their wares

Moran Market, Seongnam

Open on dates that end with 4 and 9: Sells red

peppers, sesame seeds, medicinal herbs, grains

and meats.

Ganghwa County Market, Incheon

Open on dates that end with 2 and 7: Sells stone

engravings, flowers, ginseng and vegetables.

Gupo Market, Busan

Open on dates that end with 3 and 8: Sells medicine,

pets (dogs, chicks, cats), vegetables and a

range of meats.

Milyang Market

Open on dates that end with 2 and 7: Sells mountain

vegetables, chestnuts, jujubes and rice

cakes.

Tongyeong Market

Open on dates that end with 2 and 7: Sells

abalone, oysters, sesame and medicine

Hwage Market, Hadong

Open on dates that end with 1 and 6: Sells

green tea, medicine, Japanese plum extracts

and clams.

Damyang Market, Damyang

Open on dates that end with 1 and 6: Sells

bamboo baskets, crafts, brushes and clothing

made from bamboo fiber.

Seocheon Market

Open on dates that end with 2 and 7: Sells

seaweed, free-range oysters and fish.

Jeongseon Market

Open on dates that end with2 and 7: Sells

herbs, roots and persimmons.

Jeju Civilian Ethnic Market

Open on dates that end with 2 and 7: Sells

seafood, local bred chicken, natural dyed

fabrics and shitake mushrooms

By Park Soo-mee Staff Writer [myfeast@joongang.co.kr]