Seoul’s weeklong moonlight gourmet festival will bring exclusive chef dishes, food tours and a Joseon-era tavern to Namdaemun Market starting Saturday.
A promotional poster of the programs held during the Seoul moonlight gourmet festival at Namdaemun Market in Jung District, central Seoul. The festival is set to take place from Nov. 14 to Nov. 21.
SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT
Chefs will serve specially created dishes, and Seoul’s Namdaemun Market will recreate a traditional Joseon-era tavern as the city seeks to turn the traditional shopping district into a nighttime culinary destination starting Saturday.
A promotion poster for the Seoul moonlight gourmet festival
SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday that it will host the so-called Seoul moonlight gourmet festival for a week starting Saturday, running from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. through Nov. 21.
Visitors can try special dishes prepared by chefs Nam Jun-young, who runs several restaurants in central Seoul’s Sinyongsan area, and Cho Seo-hyung, who appeared in Netflix’s cooking competition series “Culinary Class Wars” (2024-). The chefs will serve suyuk (boiled pork slices) with geotjeori (freshly seasoned kimchi), as well as dak kalguksu (chicken knife-cut noodles) topped with dried hairtail. The dishes will be available exclusively during the festival, and no advance reservations are required.
The market will also feature a jumak, a traditional Korean tavern found in marketplaces during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). A flea market featuring vendors from Namdaemun Market will also be held.
Three nighttime culinary tours will let visitors explore lesser-known food spots in the market with food experts, including chefs.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is also expected to attend Saturday’s opening ceremony, greeting visitors alongside celebrity chefs while dressed in attire inspired by the traditional jumak.
The city government said it hopes to extend traditional markets’ business hours and encourage more nighttime spending by using the growing popularity of Korean food as a draw.
The festival is part of the city’s broader efforts to expand Seoul’s nighttime economy.
Namdaemun Market has also been drawing growing attention on social media, with items such as scarves and Korean exfoliating washcloths, known locally as Italy towels, gaining popularity among visitors.
According to the city government, credit card spending by foreign visitors at Namdaemun Market rose 65.6 percent from January to September compared with the same period last year.
BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]
Dining and Cooking