

– The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) plans to start from Yeouido on March 31st, and will later add the Dongdaemun Digital Design Plaza (DDP) and Cheonggye Plaza Markets in May, as well as Mokdong Stadium Market in July

– Every market will have different themes, such as ‘One-Night World Tour,’ or ‘Youth Runway & Dancing Night’

– 300 judges, including citizens and experts, will decide the vendors via ‘On-site Evaluation’

– The markets will become signature cultural spots with plenty of things to eat, watch, and buy, while creating jobs for young people



Last October, the SMG successfully held the ‘Seoul Bamdokkaebi Night Market’ at the Yeouido Han River Part for seven days, and attracted 210,000 visitors (28,000 per day on average). The name originated because, like Bamdokkaebi (goblins), the market appears at night, but disappears in the morning.

The SMG announced that it will expand the ‘Seoul Bamdokkaebi Night Market’ to four different locations every Friday and Saturday between 18:00 and 23:00, with four different themes.

Culture, art, and sports organizations in the districts will be encouraged to participate in the markets to create markets full of things to eat, watch, and buy. The SMG plans to develop the markets into another tourist attraction that represents the night culture of Seoul.

The market is also expected to create jobs for young people. Mayer Won-soon Park visited the market during a job fair last October, and saw the potential of the market as a laboratory of jobs for young people. He mentioned that by expanding the markets, he hoped that young people who operate food trucks and stores will have more jobs.

The Seoul Bamdokkaebi Night Market will gradually expand starting from Yeouido in March, to the DDP and Cheonggye Plaza in May, before finally appearing near Mokdong Stadium in July.

The first night market of 2016 will open at the Water Light Plaza in the Yeouido Han River Park on Thursday, March 31st. The theme of the market is ‘One-Night World Tour’, and it will create a new space and chapter for Seoul. 70 general vendors and 30 food trucks participate.

The theme of DDP Bamdokkaebi Night Market which starts in May is ‘Youth Runway & Dancing Night,’ which targets young adults in their 20s. Visitors will be able to find creative products from young start-ups, food made by urban farmers, fashion shows, and b-boy performances.

The Mokdong Stadium Bamdokkaebi Night Market will have a ‘Leisure and Sports Market-Extreme Camping Site’ theme. Second-hand sports ware will be sold and fixed, and camping food will be sold as well. Unicycle tricks and board games will also be available.

Once the markets start, they will open every Friday and Saturday until October. However, the Cheonggye Plaza’s Market will be an irregular special seasonal market. For example, May’s theme will be the ‘Month of Family.’

Commercializing Seoul’s Tourist Attractions

Location Theme and Content Concept Description Yeouido Han River Park World Market – One-Night World Tour ◦Traditional goods and food from different countries (general vendors: 70 teams, food vendors: 30 teams)

◦World traditional dance and performances, etc. DDP Youth Runway & Dancing Night ◦Youth start-ups’ creative products, urban farmers’ food (general vendors: 50 teams, food vendors: 15 teams)

◦Fashion show and b-boy performances, etc. Mokdong Stadium Leisure and Sports Market – Extreme Camping ◦Sales and repair of second-hand sports products, camping food (general vendors: 50 teams, food vendors: 15 teams)

◦Unicycle tricks, board games, etc. Cheonggye Plaza Seasonal market ◦Special gifts that fit the theme, snacks (general vendors: 50 teams, food vendors: 15 teams)

◦Magic tricks, performances, etc.

“I hope that this year’s Seoul Bamdokkaebi Night Markets will provide tourists and citizens fun times like last year’s. Moreover, I expect that the market will become a new tourist attraction which facilitates a strong local economy and gives more jobs to young people.” said Sangtaek Jung, the Small Business Development Director of Seoul.