Living Information

A movie prop helmet, motorbike paraphernalia, swords, porcelain wares, wigs, used shoes and pictures of the late president Park Chung Hee a stone's throw from North Korean banknotes. You name it, they have it at the Seoul Folk Flea Market in Sinseol-dong, northeastern Seoul.

The market moved into its third permanent home on April 26 near the eastern stretch of Cheonggyecheon (Cheonggye Stream) after moving from Hwanghak-dong and Dongdaemun.

Hwanghak means Yellow Crane. After the devastation of the Korean War (1950-53), common people gathered in Hwanghak-dong where cranes used to spend many hours a day. People there shared their food, chats, sorrows and a sense of affinity. They could not afford new products, but traded and bartered used goods in what became a traditional flea market. That was the first such market in Seoul.

In 2003, the flea market moved to Dongdaemun (East Gate), the second busiest shopping zone after Myeongdong in Seoul. After 5 years, the market was re-born in Sinseol-dong to keep abreast with Seoul's plan to draw 12 million tourists annually and to develop the economy of Seoul's northeast. Over 8 billion won ($8 million) was injected to shape up the market.

To get to the market, catch the line 1 subway and come out of exit 9 at Sinseol Station. At the exit, double back for five meters and take the alley on the left. It's impossible to get lost, as at almost every turn, the flea market's signs welcome shoppers. Even down at the Cheonggye Stream there is a big signboard directing visitors to the market.

Less than 5 minutes walk will lead to a white tent-like canvas covered structure, which has two floors. Over 500 stalls of 3 to 10 square meters have numbers instead of names. For tourists' convenience, the open flea market is divided into colored sections, red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. In theory the colors signify what type of stalls are there, but don't expect too much order. Sometimes stalls look as if they are organized by category but then you get a surprise.

Every stall seems to specialize in one thing or other -- clothing (new or used), decorations, cufflinks and tie-pins, marital aids, hats, construction tools, antiques and so on. The first floor is reserved for special local products, craftworks and porcelains. The second floor has picture frames, mountings, modified Hanbok (Korea's traditional clothes), Matrix type trench coats, lights and household bric-a-brac.

"I was impressed by the variety of products at the market. I paid 10,000 won to buy this small burner," said a man from the U.S. who was with his Korean wife and brother-in-law.

A couple from Pakistan with their adult daughter said it would be much better if the market could provide more diverse language services for international shoppers, and wanted to see more handcrafts and traditional Korean products. They were also surprised by the lack of bargaining going on, and the dearth of taxis near the market. These things are sure to improve over time, as the market has only been open in its new location for a little over a week.

Both floors have a food section, with stalls serving a surprising variety of dishes as well as hot and cold, hard and soft drinks. At any time, shoppers can enjoy traditional foods such as pajeon (something akin to a Korean pizza with vegetables), noodles and dongdongju (fermented rice liquor).

The market is open from 10 in the morning to 8 in the evening, and the busy hours usually are around 2 to 3 p.m. Entry is free. A tourist information office will open its doors in mid-May to serve visitors from overseas. And remember, as with flea markets, there is usually a no returns policy, so buyer beware! For more information, visit http://www.seoulfolkfleamarket.com/ (Korean, limited information in English).

By James Ro and Jacco Zwetsloot
korea.net/ Staff Writers