Namdaemun Market () is a large traditional

market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market *Marketing, the act of sat ...

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

, South Korea. It is located next to

Namdaemun Namdaemun (), the Sungnyemun (), is one of the Eight Gates in the Seoul City Wall, South Korea. The gate formed the original southern boundary of the city during the Joseon period, although the city has since significantly outgrown this bou ...

, the main southern gate to the old city.Namdaemun Market
at

Doosan Encyclopedia ''Doosan Encyclopedia'' () is a Korean-language encyclopedia published by Doosan Donga (). The encyclopedia is based on the ''Dong-A Color Encyclopedia'' (), which comprises 30 volumes and began to be published in 1982 by Dong-A Publishing (). ...

The market is among the oldest extant markets in Korea, having opened during the

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

period in 1414. The market's character, location, and size have all changed over time. Amidst Joseon's

isolationism Isolationism is a term used to refer to a political philosophy advocating a foreign policy that opposes involvement in the political affairs, and especially the wars, of other countries. Thus, isolationism fundamentally advocates neutrality an ...

in the 16th and 17th centuries, the market was limited to mostly Korean customers and merchants. This persisted until the

Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

forcefully opened Korea in the

Japan–Korea Treaty of 1876 The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1876 (also known as the Japan–Korea Treaty of Amity in Japan and the Treaty of Ganghwa Island in Korea) was made between representatives of the Empire of Japan and the Joseon, Kingdom of Joseon in 1876.Chung, Young ...

. Afterwards, nearly half of the merchants became either ethnic Chinese or Japanese merchants. During the 1910–1945 Japanese colonial period, the market survived a number of attempts by the Japanese colonial government to shut it down. The market was destroyed a number of times over time by accidental fires, including one during the 1950–1953

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. Each time it was destroyed, it was rebuilt to roughly the same size and status it had previously operated under. Today the market has been modernized, although it retains much of its bustling character. It is largely jointly owned by a collective of the merchants who operate within it. According to the Seoul Institute, it contained 5,200 stores, had 9,090 workers, and had an area of .

History

Creation of the market

In 1394, shortly after the establishment of the

dynasty, King Taejo made Seoul the capital city. The government set about redesigning the city according to principles set out in the Chinese bureaucratic text ''

Rites of Zhou The ''Rites of Zhou'' (), originally known as "Officers of Zhou" (), is a Chinese work on bureaucracy and organizational theory. It was renamed by Liu Xin to differentiate it from a chapter in the '' Book of History'' by the same name. To rep ...

''. They managed to place buildings like the royal palace

Gyeongbokgung Gyeongbokgung () is a former royal palace in Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1395, it was the first royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, and is now one of the most significant tourist attractions in the country. The palace was among the first ...

and the altar

Sajikdan Sajikdan () is a Neo-Confucian altar located in Sajik-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea. It was built and used during the Joseon period to perform rituals related to soil and grain.Bugaksan, they decided to place markets elsewhere. A market roughly in the same area as the current Namdaemun Market finished construction in September 1414, during the reign of King Taejong. It was one of four market construction projects that occurred in the city between 1412 and 1414. A government-licensed shop that specialized in importing silks () was the first to open in the market. Soon afterwards followed a large number of government-licensed shops () that sold a variety of items, but mostly clothing, food, and household items.

Development

During the 1592–1598 Japanese invasions, 1627 Later Jin invasion, and the 1636 Qing invasion, activity in the market slowed. In the aftermath of these invasions, activity rapidly picked back up, as farmers fled from the countryside and sought opportunities in the capital. Around this time, the market became one of the three largest markets in the city. It mostly operated early in the mornings, so people could buy needed supplies for the day. Joseon operated under a policy of

after these invasions, and foreigners were relatively uncommon in the markets. However, after Japan forced Joseon to open its ports in the

, the number of international traders and shops rapidly increased. Chinese traders went from 99 in 1883 to 1,254 in 1893, Chinese-run shops went from 19 to 142, and 71 Japanese merchants in 1885 rose to 625 by 1890. Local merchants protested against this foreign competition, but nothing could be done. Beginning in 1896, the

Korean Empire The Korean Empire, officially the Empire of Korea or Imperial Korea, was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by King Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire lasted until the Japanese annexation of Korea in August 1910. Dur ...

(the successor to Joseon) government began efforts to rapidly modernize the country and Seoul. Due to numerous construction projects, a number of shops in the area were displaced, and by January 1897, a number of them moved into a building formerly used for distributing grain to the public () and began selling there. This market is considered a clear predecessor to Namdaemun Market. In contrast to other previous markets, it operated throughout the day. Old korea market

The markets inside the former granary did not pay taxes until 1899. Taxes were first collected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce, and Industry, and then by the Office of Crown Property in 1901. By 1907, around 250 to 300 merchants operated inside the building. Roughly 50% were Korean, 30% Japanese, and 20% Chinese. According to 1909 research conducted by the Ministry of Finance, daily transactions amounted to 934,035 won.

Japanese colonial period

From 1910 to 1945, Korea was a colony of the

. In 1911, a significant fire destroyed much of the market. Despite this, the market was the largest in the city around this time, with a total sales volume of 2,181,600

Korean yen The yen was the currency of Korea under Japanese rule, Korea, Empire of Japan between 1910 and 1945. It was equivalent to the Japanese yen and consisted of Japanese currency and banknotes issued specifically for Korea. The yen was subdivided i ...

in 1916. This was around half of the total sales volume of all markets in the city. In September 1914, the colonial government proclaimed General Ordinance No. 136, which set out policies for closing and regulating markets. Namdaemun Market was classified as a "Category 1" market, a traditional market that either needed to be developed into a "Category 2" or "Category 3" market or closed altogether. The colonial government attempted to establish a public wholesale market in Namdaemun Market's place, but failed to do so. The Joseon Agriculture Corporation, led by the pro-Japanese collaborator Song Byeong-jun, leased the land of the market for 15 years and invested 50,000 yen to build warehouses and buildings. He charged a 6 yen fee to merchants who wished to use the facilities: a price more expensive than the Korean Empire-era prices. As a result, the number of merchants dropped, but eventually recovered to 126 in 1921. However, a significant fire broke out in fall 1921, which destroyed all shops. Unable to recover from the loss, the Joseon Agriculture Corporation transferred its management of the market to the Jung-ang Trading Corporation, which was established on April 12, 1922, specifically to run the market. By 1930, sales volume dropped, although the number of merchants in the market was stable at around 200. The drop in sales has been attributed to the economy's shift towards corporate capitalism. Sales of general merchandise also decreased, as modern Japanese-owned department stores opened in the area. In 1931, the colonial government sold ownership of the property to Jung-ang Trading Corporation altogether at a tenth of its market value. Shortly afterwards, Jung-ang raised fees for merchants by around 40%. Korean merchants organized into an association on December 26, 1933, to protest this. In 1936, the market's name was changed to "Central Product Market" (). On March 24, 1938, the market's license expired, and the colonial government moved to replace it and

Dongdaemun Market Dongdaemun Market () or Dongdaemun (abbreviated DDM) is a large commercial district in Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea.liberation in 1945, more than 200 merchants formed the Namdaemun Market Merchant Association and took over management.Namdaemun Market
at Encyclopedia of Korean Culture Initially, the

United States Army Military Government in Korea The United States Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK) was the official ruling body of the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula from 9 September 1945 to 15 August 1948. The country during this period was plagued with political a ...

, which governed the southern half of the peninsula at the time, classified the Association as "enemy property" (Japanese-owned). This was protested by the Association, which argued that 80% of shares were held by Koreans. The immediate outcome of this protest is not known, but by 1952, the Association managed the market. In 1950, the

began, and most of the 250 shops in the market were destroyed. When vendors returned to the market in June 1951, they found that the area had been cordoned off by barbed wire. Activities restarted with around 100 stalls and makeshift stores in the Bukchang-dong area. By 1953, 150 shops and 500 street stalls were in the market. In 1952, the market restarted the Namdaemun Market Merchant Association. Its president Um Bok-man, who was involved in organized crime, siphoned off funds from the market. He was removed from his position by the Seoul government in 1957, and replaced with Kim Woo-taek. At the time, it sold a large amount of contraband and military supplies from the U.S. military bases. Consequently, it was nicknamed "Dokkaebi Market", after a mischievous goblin-like creature from Korean folklore. '' Kkulkkuri-juk'', an improvized dish that preceded the modern ''

budae-jjigae ''Budae-jjigae'' () is a type of spicy ''jjigae'' (Korean stew) from South Korea that is made with a variety of ingredients, often Canning, canned or Convenience food, processed. Common ingredients include ham, sausage, Spam (food), spam, baked ...

'', was sold in the market. The market also began to host numerous North Korean refugees; thus the nickname "Abai Market" () emerged, where ''abai'' refers to an old person in a North Korean dialect. The market suffered a significant fire in 1954. After which, many merchants relocated to

Dongdaemun Market Dongdaemun Market () or Dongdaemun (abbreviated DDM) is a large commercial district in Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea.Kim Hyeon-ok proposed converting the market into an 18-story shopping complex. Shortly afterwards, a significant fire broke out in the market on November 25, 1968. Kim's plans were scaled down to just three floors. More buildings were then constructed over time, with three buildings opening in 1969, two in 1970, and one in 1971. Beginning in 1977, efforts were made to move the wholesale agricultural and marine products vendors to different markets. In the 1980s, efforts were made to make the market's goods more specialized. For example, one of its buildings began selling primarily textiles, clothes, and handicrafts. Specialization in those areas have since persisted. However, redevelopment on the main building of the market stagnated, due to plans needing 80% approval from the building's occupants. In the mid-1990s, a proposal was forwarded to have the market transformed into 15-story buildings. Construction workers were hired, but in the end no changes were made. Redevelopment continued to stall, even by 2016.

Recent history

In the 1990s, the market began shifting from wholesales to retail. However, overall market sales significantly dropped. This was due to a number of factors, including the

1997 Asian financial crisis The 1997 Asian financial crisis gripped much of East Asia, East and Southeast Asia during the late 1990s. The crisis began in Thailand in July 1997 before spreading to several other countries with a ripple effect, raising fears of a worldwide eco ...

, competition from Dongdaemun Market, and liberalization on import restricts (and thus more competition). Dongdaemun Market became more associated with younger shoppers, whereas Namdaemun Market appealed to older. Furthermore, the ownership structure of the market is reportedly complex, with stores sometimes belonging to five owners. Disagreements between these owners and across stores has reportedly hampered development. The number of vendors increased from 4,205 in 1982 to 11,886 in 2013. The proportion of goods sold also changed; clothing went from 60% of the market's sales to 36.8%, and accessories went from 5% to 29.5%. Produce and fish sellers went from 5% to being virtually absent from the market during that time. Vendors also shifted from mainly manufacturing their own products to outsourcing production on contract. The rise of the internet and

online shopping Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce which allows consumers to directly buy goods or services from a seller over the Internet using a web browser or a mobile app. Consumers find a product of interest by visiting the website of th ...

has reportedly negatively impacted Namdaemun Market. Whereas Dongdaemun Market and its younger audience reportedly smoothly managed the transition to the internet, Namdaemun Market's older audience preferred to do their shopping in person. The city of Seoul announced plans to renovate the market in 2007, with renovations continuing into 2010.

Characteristics

In June 2013, the market had 11,886 shops. 3,501 sold accessories like earrings and hairpins, 3,475 sold clothing, and 909 sold children's clothes. Fashion shops accounted for 66.3% of the total. 973 stores (8.2%) sold kitchen products, handicrafts and local products. 913 were restaurants and health food shops, and 580 sold glasses, watches, and camera. Many of its stores are operated by a single person or family. Goods are typically transported within the market by motorcycle or handcart. There are also numerous street stalls, with some operating by day and others by night. Seoul-Namdaemun

Buildings A and B (which are actually each composed of smaller buildings) are together known as the Main Building of the market, and are the oldest buildings in the market. They are in the location of the original granary building used for the market in the Joseon period. How each building is managed reportedly differs. Generally, the exterior of the buildings, utilities, and exterior security are maintained by the building's ''jijuhoe'' (). The ''jijuhoe'' collects upkeep fees from the various merchants. Their funds and activities are managed by a management office. The management office manages security inside the buildings and cleaning the interior. The market is popular with tourists. It has signs in other languages in order to appeal to them, translators, and multilingual employees are reportedly valued. Health foods like

ginseng Ginseng () is the root of plants in the genus ''Panax'', such as South China ginseng (''Panax notoginseng, P. notoginseng''), Korean ginseng (''Panax ginseng, P. ginseng''), and American ginseng (''American ginseng, P. quinquefol ...

are reportedly popular with Chinese tourists. Namdaemun Market 1998

There are a number of alleyways that specialize in certain dishes in the market. One alleyway, in building A, is for '' galchi-jorim'', spicy braised

cutlassfish The cutlassfishes are about 45 species of predatory ray-finned fish in the family Trichiuridae of the order Scombriformes found in seas throughout the world. Fish of this family are long, slender, and generally steely blue or silver in colour, ...

. Another is for '' kal-guksu'', a noodle dish. And a third is for '' hotteok'', stuffed pancakes, including vegetables, nuts, and sweet condiments. Within the borders of the market is a historic now called Ilchul Apartment (). Its Japanese name was Hinode (). It was primarily used as a short-term residence for people working nearby. After the Korean War, it came to be occupied by war refugees, who continued to live there afterwards. In recent years, few people live in the building; it has mostly come to be used by merchants in Namdaemun Market as office or storage space.

References

Sources

External links

* *
Namdaemun Market on VisitKorea.or.kr
{{Coord, 37, 33, 34.00, N, 126, 58, 38.70, E, source:kowiki_region:KR, display=title Jung District, Seoul Shopping districts and streets in South Korea Retail markets in Seoul Food markets in South Korea Downtown Seoul Seoul Future Heritages