I love this market and its surroundings shops. So much to eat and buy. You will not be bored. This is a place to try good sikhye (Koren rice drink). Shop owners are generally friendly, and at times aggressive. Prices for dried seafood and condiments are reasonable.

One of the larger markets, with cooked and fresh food, produce and household items in different sections/buildings. Fascinating if you like markets of this nature as there is always something new to explore. To get to Gukje, if you come via the metro, you can walk through BIFF Square and the food stalls there. Jagalchi fish market is also in the vicinity. Modern shops and cafes line the several streets before Gukje, providing an interesting contrast to the traditional market. Not so touristy, with many locals doing their regular weekly shopping and the odd market-loving visitor walking through.

We had a great time exploring the shops and food vendors walking up from the fish market to the Diamond Tower on a late Sunday morning. We stopped at some food carts after working up an appetite from our climb up to the tower. Lots of variety and options to eat like a local from the carts.

The Gukje Market encapsulates one word : Massive, with a capital M. From the market's information, we gathered that the entire floor space spans about 6 zones, 12-14 buildings, numerous lanes and alleys, and almost uncountable number of vendors dealing in a diverse array of goods, ranging from machinery tools, kitchenware, dried goods, clothing, the whole kitchen sink. There are also that few traditional restaurants that randomly pop out of nowhere. We found one nestled in between a clothing store and a bags store. Guess urban planning is not much of a science here. Hence, if you are going there for lunch, be prepared to open your eyes because you might just turn a corner and miss that eatery.