The ground-floor tanks
Live seafood of every kind.
Doo Ho Kim — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC0 · Czolya — CC BY 3.0
The largest seafood market in Korea, stretched along the quay of Nampo port in the old centre of Busan. Its name is said to come from jagal, the gravel that once covered the shore here. The market is known for its women vendors, who began selling fish on the quay after the Korean War and remain the face of the place today. The modern building on the waterfront has a ground floor of tanks: live fish, crabs, octopus, shellfish and creatures you may not be able to name. You choose what you want and agree a price, and it is cooked for you in the restaurants on the second floor for a seating and preparation charge. Outside, stalls run the length of the quay, along with the dried-fish market. Seafood itself suits Muslim travellers, but ask about broths and sauces and request cooking without alcohol. Agree the full price before anything is cooked. Morning is the best time, when the catch arrives. The market is close to Gukje Market and Busan Tower, so the three fit into one outing.
Live seafood of every kind.
They cook what you bought.
The open market by the port.
52 Jagalchihaean-ro, Jung-gu; Jagalchi Station (Line 1), exit 10
Busan Tower and Yongdusan ParkA 120-metre observation tower on Yongdusan hill in the old heart of Busan, built7 minutes walk4.3
Gukje Market and BIFF SquareThe largest traditional market in Busan; its name means «international market». 7 minutes walk4.3
Gamcheon Culture VillageA village on a steep hillside in the west of Busan, its small, brightly painted 23 minutes walk4.5Yes. You buy seafood from the ground-floor tanks and have it cooked in the second-floor restaurants for a seating and preparation charge. Agree the full price before it is cooked.