Jeonju’s Nambu Market, in the southwest of Korea, is the largest traditional market in the city. Across the main road is Hanok Village, where all the tourists go, but Nambu Market is mostly for the locals.
It is located in the south of the city, in a series of covered streets. They sell a lot of things there. For instance:
wooden wares and kitchen supplies. These include these things:
These are called jipshin, or literally, straw shoes. They were used by farmers and apparently still are, since you can buy them at the market.
There is also a lot of food at the market. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables from local farms, but also:
Dried fish heads. I’m not sure how you eat them, or if they’re just fertilizer, but you can buy them by the bagful. The sign says they come from Russia.
Live octopus. You’re allowed to cook them before you eat them though.
Blocks of fresh tofu. The brown blocks to the left are acorn jelly and the round things behind are fermented soy bean paste.
These are bags of dried hot peppers. Koreans love their hot peppers.
This shop sells a bunch of everything. The signs advertise dried persimmons, buckwheat, deer antler, green tea, etc.
One of the main reasons I go to the market is to go to a famous restaurant there, called Nammun Pisundae (which means South Gate Blood Sausage). It only serves one thing, which is blood sausage, either in soup or by itself. It’s really good and there is always a huge line out the door around meal times (although it’s open 24 hours). They cook the food by the door, so you can see them making it as you walk in.
Not everything in the market is food though. It is also a famous area for hanbok, which is the traditional Korean dress. There are many hanbok shops in the area. All of the dresses are custom-made. You see a lot of women wearing them at special events like weddings or on major holidays.
I don’t know if you’ll ever come to Jeonju, but if you do, go to Nambu Market. It’s a great place to wander around in and see a lot of new, interesting things.
The Green-Walled Tower 
January 21st, 2014 at 4:01 pm
It looks interesting indeed. Thank you for sharing.
January 21st, 2014 at 11:12 pm
Very interesting and informative David….thanks for sharing this.
January 22nd, 2014 at 12:48 am
loved the photos David, the straw shoes are cool! I wonder if they are good for protection of feet! 🙂
January 22nd, 2014 at 1:00 am
Very interesting, David. Some of the things look a bit ‘iffy’ for me to try, like the dried fish heads. Maybe it should not be surprising that they are eaten or served or exported from Russia as the fish markets and exotic foods there might be popular in Asian markets. When I was in Russia in 1989 it was the first time I had been introduced to black caviar and sturgeon and loved it from then on, although it was a black market item then if one tried to buy any. Now, it is I’m sure available to all if affordable. The other things in your shops there in Korea also look fascinating. Thanks for sharing the photos and info. and also thanks again for recently visiting my blog.
January 22nd, 2014 at 3:43 am
I really like the pictures I find the shops and markets in other countries fascinating especially the food your picture hint at the smells and sounds … makes me want to travel….
Thanks
January 22nd, 2014 at 8:54 am
true. The smells and sounds are something that’s very hard to convey but make a bigger impression, when you’re there.
January 22nd, 2014 at 5:25 pm
Ah, I hope to see this place when I go… If I go… Thanks for the pictures. They take me there.
January 24th, 2014 at 12:40 pm
Thanks for sharing, David. Wow, so much stuff to see! I don’t think I’ll be trying any fish heads anytime soon.
January 26th, 2014 at 10:39 pm
I still don’t know what they use the fish heads for. I’ll have to ask someone. They don’t seem like they’d make good food and I’ve never had any food here that was make of dried fish heads.
January 27th, 2014 at 4:41 am
I believe I took a picture of a bag of dried fish heads when I was at that market with you in 2009!