When you think of Busan, you either think of the fresh seafood market (aka Jagalchi Market) or the rows of colorful houses on the foothills of a coastal mountain. Whilst most would just see these houses as one of Busan’s most Instagrammable spots, Gamcheon Culture Village was formed by the refugees of the Korean war and this tourist attraction remains an actual residential village till today.

No one should say that they’ve ever been to Busan unless they have visited the Gamcheon Culture Village. So if you’ve never been to this tourist attraction, here are some things that you can look forward to during your visit to the Gamcheon Culture Village. 

As you’d now be aware, Gamcheon Culture Village was built on a coastal mountain and that only means one thing — steep slopes. If you’re driving around in Busan, it would pay to bear in mind that this is a popular tourist attraction and hence, parking near Gamcheon Culture Village is likely limited. You’d probably end up parking at least halfway down the slope to the village so do be prepared for a hike.

As for public transport, do make it a point to alight at the bus stop before Gamcheon Culture Village so that you don’t have to climb any slopes. If not, you can also hailing a cab and be dropped off right outside the entrance of this village.

Whilst there is no lack of things to do, see and eat at the Gamcheon Culture Village, we had our sights set on the Gamcheon Bakery which is famous for their Gamcheon Salt Bread (2,500 won) and their Moon Bread (2,500 won). Whilst we didn’t have a taste of the Gamcheon Salt Bread, we felt that their Moon Bread was average at best and would recommend you give the bakes a miss.

But, if you’re looking for a spot to getaway from the bustling crowd in the village, Gamcheon Bakery is perched upon a hill and the views from the bakery are pretty solid. There are also various wall murals and sculptures around the bakery which are decent photo spots.

Gamcheon Culture Village offers a plethora of food options for those hungry for a bite. From street food stalls which offer the usual street snacks like hotteok, fish cakes and tteokbokki, or cafes such as Coffee It House, Cafe Stairs Wi Pureun House and Cafe Avant-garde, you will struggle to stay hungry during your time at the village.

Apart from the colorful rows of terraced houses, Gamcheon Culture Village is also famous for alleys which are filled with street art and sculptures. Here, walls, roofs, doors and stairs have been transformed into beautiful forms of art, all of which carry its own significance, whether it is to raise awareness about social causes or to celebrate cultures. And for those who are K-pop fans, you may even catch a glimpse of your favourite K-pop groups in the village — BTS anyone? 

Fans of The Little Prince must grab a photo with The Little Prince and fox sculpture at this photo spot which offers views of the entire Gamcheon Culture Village and the bay of Busan. That said, this is probably the most popular photo spot in Gamcheon Culture Village so queues for this photo spot are quite long so you should be prepared to wait if you want to secure a shot with this view. 

If you have the time to spare, some other interesting experiences that you can take part in at the Gamcheon Culture Village include making a hand-flipped photobook, renting a hanbok, collecting stamps around the village, and visiting the Haneul Maru Observatory.

Gamcheon Culture Village
203 Gamnae-2-ro, Saha-gu,
Busan, South Korea 

Just as Japan has the Tsukiji Fish Market, South Korea’s best known fresh seafood market has got to be the Jagalchi Market. Located on the edge of Nampo Port in Busan, Jagalchi Market is considered the largest seafood market in South Korea and is a spot you must visit when in Busan. As Busan is frequented by quite a number of tourists, Jagalchi Market is relatively tourist-friendly for Singaporeans as most of the stall owners speak decent mandarin.

That said, if you’re looking to tuck into seafood at affordable prices, do take care to enter Jagalchi Market from the correct side of the building. Elsewise, you may find yourself making the same mistake as us – paying slightly higher prices for the exact same dishes at the other side of the building.

As a matter of orientation, this is what you should be looking for when you first enter Jagalchi Market. There will be a couple of rows of shops with fresh seafood laid out for your picking. After you select your choice of seafood, the stall owners will arrange for someone to bring you (and your seafood) up to the dining area to be cooked. Do note that payment for the seafood does not include preparation and cooking of the seafood. The restaurant owners at the dining area on the 2nd level will charge you separately for their service.

In contrast, if you enter from the other side of Jagalchi Market, you will be greeted by stalls with fresh seafood but each stall has a dining area attached to it. The spread of seafood available at this side of the Jagalchi Market is not as extensive as you would find at the other entrance, and the level of touting here is also significantly higher. Also, if you’re not careful, you may find yourselves paying a little more than what you expected to be charged.

Notwithstanding the sentiments above, Jagalchi Market is a paradise for seafood lovers. From eel, to Alaskan King Crabs, octopus and scallops, it will be a feast for the eyes. But one tip that we’d give is to only choose seafood that is displayed outside the shop to ensure that you are paying for what you select. Elsewise, unless you are opting for your seafood to be cooked, you should be prepared for an upset stomach.

Well, we were prepared to suffer the consequences so we opted to enjoy most of our seafood raw. Whilst this plate of sea urchins set us back by just 10,000 won, we felt that there was slightly lesser meat than what we had expected. But for its extremely affordable price tag, it was still a reasonable portion and a delicious meal option.

We could not leave Jagalchi Market without having Sannakji aka sliced raw octopus. The stall owner we purchased the seafood from threw this in for free, and even allowed our toddler to touch the live octopus for entertainment. If you’ve never tried Sannakji, it’s really not as scary as it looks. Doused with sesame oil and sesame seeds, the octopus meat was firm yet chewy, and just slightly slimy. However, if you’re not accustomed to this type of seafood, it would be wise to share this dish with another dining partner.

As for cooked seafood, 2 other dishes that we’d recommend are the Grilled Eel (10,000 won) and the Abalone Porridge (30,000 won). The eel was lightly salted and incredibly fresh, and though we’d have liked a larger portion of abalone, the Abalone Porridge was very satisfying.

Jagalchi Market
52 Jagalchihaean-ro, Jung-gu,
Busan, South Korea

Please note that Jagalchi Market is closed on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month and that the prices stated above will differ across the different shops