Jeju Folk Five-Day Market — It Only Opens on the 2nd and 7th

Start with the part that catches people out. A Korean oiljang — literally "five-day market" — is not a market that runs for five days, and it is not open every fifth day of the month either.

This one opens only on dates ending in 2 or 7.

Market days

Six days a month. Show up on any other date and you are looking at a very large empty car park.

If a traditional market is on your Jeju list, check the calendar first and build your Jeju City day around one of those dates — not the other way round.

It is much bigger than you expect

Around 1,000 stalls — the largest market of its kind in Korea. "We'll do a quick loop" turns into a couple of hours.

Fruit, dried seafood, vegetables, clothes, household goods, tools. What stands out is how busy it is. This is not a market arranged for visitors; it is where people on the island actually shop, and the energy is completely different because of it.

Head for the food section

There is an area inside the market where stalls from around the market sell cooked food in one place. You grab things from different vendors, find a seat outdoors, and spread it all out.

I had pajeon and chapssal sundae.

• Pajeon (savoury spring onion pancake) — crisp at the edges, excellent. Eating it straight off the griddle makes a real difference.
• Chapssal sundae (glutinous rice blood sausage) — honestly, not to my taste. The texture read as closer to a Chinese-style sausage than the sundae I'm used to. If you have strong opinions about sundae, try a small portion first.

And Jeju makgeolli — the local unfiltered rice wine, on the sweet side here, which works well against a fried pancake. A cup in the middle of the afternoon at a market is a very good way to spend a Jeju day.

Practical notes

• The date is everything. Ending in 2 or 7. Get that right and the rest takes care of itself.
• Closes at 6:00 PM. Arrive by 4:00 PM at the latest unless you specifically want to watch stalls packing up.
• Bring some cash. Cards are increasingly accepted, but street stalls are simpler with cash.
• The food area is outdoors. Rain or peak summer heat makes sitting there hard work.
• Driving? The car park fills quickly on market days. Mornings are easier.
• Language — very little English here. A translation app and pointing will get you through, and vendors are used to it.

If the dates line up, this is worth half a day. If they don't, the Dongmun Market in central Jeju City runs daily and is the practical alternative.