Gwangju

Daein Market, Where the Fish Alley Meets Art Studios

Gwangju’s Daein Market is a traditional market selling fish, dried seafood, and salted seafood alongside art spaces. After falling into decline in the mid-1990s, it began hosting exhibitions in vacant shops around the 2008 Gwangju Biennale. Today, visitors can explore both the market and its artistic activities.

By the KOTourLive Editorial Team Updated: Aug 31, 2026 15 min 57

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Market route starting at 13-9, Jebong-ro 184beon-gil

The road-name address of Daein Market is 13-9, Jebong-ro 184beon-gil, Dong-gu, Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City. The market is accessible by public transportation, but the official information does not provide subway station names or exit numbers, the walking distance from bus stops to the market, or bus intervals.

If you take a bus, Geumnam 58, Jiwon 152, Jiwon 52, Duam 81, Jwaseok 02, Bongseon 37, Jinwol 07, Daechon 170, and Daechon 70 stop at the “Daein Market (West)” stop on the west side of the market. Songjeong 98, Jiwon 151, Seokgok 87, Yongjeon 184, 419, Munheung 39, Maewol 06, 518, and Unnim 54 stop at “Daein Market (East)” on the east side, while Daechon 170, Jiwon 152, Yongjeon 184, Geumnam 58, Jiwon 52, Bongseon 37, Daechon 70, Duam 81, and Jwaseok 02 stop at the Dongbu Fire Station stop.

대인시장 내부 통로와 점포가 보이는 모습입니다. — A view of the interior passageways and shops at Daein Market. — Photo source: gwangju.go.kr

08:00–20:00: A day at Daein Market varies by shop

According to Gwangju tourism information, the hours are 08:00–20:00, but they vary by shop. Rather than treating the entire market as one facility, it is safer to focus on food-ingredient shops early in the day and separately seek out restaurants and art spaces that are open in the evening.

The regular closing days are the second and fourth Sundays of each month. No source specifying an official admission fee or confirming free admission could be found, so this article does not make a definitive statement about admission charges. The main telephone number is 062-223-3001, and the official tourism information page is available on the Gwangju tourism website.

대인시장 점포 앞에 상품이 진열된 풍경입니다. — Products displayed in front of shops at Daein Market. — Photo source: gwangju.go.kr

A fish and dried-seafood alley retaining traces of a wholesale seafood market

Daein Market has continued to function as a wholesale market for seafood and vegetables. Even today, fish and dried seafood are prominent, as are seafood transactions overall, preserving the character of a market where visitors can inspect and choose fish ingredients themselves.

Many sashimi restaurants have opened inside the market, and visitors can also find quality-goods shops, textile and silk shops, brassware shops, rice merchants, and salted-seafood shops. There are also street vendors selling seasonal food products from nearby rural areas, so visitors who only see the art spaces and leave will miss Daein Market’s character as a living neighborhood market.

대인시장 상점가에서 수산물과 시장 상품을 살펴볼 수 있는 장면입니다. — A scene where visitors can browse seafood and market products in the Daein Market shopping area. — Photo source: gwangju.go.kr

From the downturn of the 1990s to an art market in 2008

Interest in Daein Market declined sharply when large supermarkets opened in the mid-1990s. Later, around the 2008 Gwangju Biennale, several vacant shops were rented as small art exhibition spaces, bringing artistic activity into the market.

This change is key to understanding the market’s present-day character. A structure emerged in which merchants and artists work alongside one another, and Daein Market was designated a cultural attraction in 2013. Accordingly, this is less a place where traditional-market goods and exhibition spaces are separate tourist destinations than one where both are encountered together along the same alleys.

대인시장 상점 옆 작업실에서 상인과 예술가가 공존하는 모습을 보여주는 사진입니다. — A photo showing merchants and artists coexisting in a studio beside a Daein Market shop. — Photo source: khan.co.kr

When looking for Hanpyeong Gallery and Byeolbyeol Sangsang Garden

Daein Art Market features Hanpyeong Gallery and Byeolbyeol Sangsang Garden. The title of a visit video released in October 2021 also mentions Hanpyeong Gallery, Byeolbyeol Sangsang Garden, and Art Collection Shop Sujak together, making it possible to follow a route that takes in both the market’s shopping alleys and its art spaces at once.

However, not every shop is an exhibition venue, and no confirmed information is available regarding controlled-access and open areas inside the market, photography restrictions, English-language information, or audio-guide operations. When you encounter an exhibition or studio, distinguish it from shops that are open for business, and follow on-site signs and staff guidance before entering.

대인예술시장 안에서 작품과 시장 풍경이 함께 보이는 장면입니다. — A scene inside Daein Art Market where artworks and market scenery appear together. — Photo source: visitkorea.or.kr

Night-market schedule: June 19–October 31, 2026

The 2026 Daein Art Night Market runs from June 19 to October 31, 2026, with a total of 12 sessions held on Fridays or Saturdays from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. during the operating period. In particular, for the two weeks from June 19 to 27, it will be held every Friday and Saturday.

The official schedule includes June 19, 20, 26, and 27; July 18 and 25; September 5, 12, and 19; and October 24, 30, and 31. Street performances, magic shows, and DJing will take place throughout the market, with 24 vendor teams participating. Food trucks and painting, pottery, and handicraft experiences will also be available. All programs can be reserved in advance through the Daein Art Market website and its dedicated social media channels.

Points to know about parking, payment, and accessibility

The market has Parking Lot 1 and Parking Lot 2, and parking is paid. Seven spaces are designated for people with disabilities and are described as sufficiently spacious, but the parking fees and total parking capacity could not be confirmed. The Korea Tourism Organization’s information states that card payments are accepted.

The main entrance and pedestrian routes for people with disabilities are accessible. The pedestrian routes are sufficiently wide, have no level changes, feature gentle slopes, and have well-maintained surfaces. The accessible restroom has no level difference, and a Braille sign is installed on the wall beside the entrance. By contrast, the recommended viewing time, bus intervals, and exact walking distance from the stops to the market were not found in the published information.

Four things to ask by phone before visiting

The main telephone number for Daein Market is 062-223-3001. Since individual shop hours may differ from the general operating hours of 08:00–20:00, if you are planning to visit a particular sashimi restaurant or exhibition space, calling to ask about the visit date and whether it will be open is the most direct approach.

If you plan to attend the night market, you can check whether the date matches the 2026 schedule, whether the program requires advance booking, and whether spaces remain for each experience. The official tourism information page is https://tour.gwangju.go.kr/home/tour/info/shopping/002.cs?act=view&infoId=410, and the market-wide photography rules and availability of English-language information require separate confirmation.

Before You Go

Address: 13-9, Jebong-ro 184beon-gil, Dong-gu, Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City
Hours: 08:00–20:00 (varies by shop)
Closed: Second and fourth Sundays of each month
Admission: No official information confirming free admission to the market was found
Phone: 062-223-3001
Official site: https://tour.gwangju.go.kr/home/tour/info/shopping/002.cs?act=view&infoId=410
Transport: Daein Market (West): Geumnam 58, Jiwon 152, Jiwon 52, Duam 81, Jwaseok 02, Bongseon 37, Jinwol 07, Daechon 170, Daechon 70 / Dongbu Fire Station: Daechon 170, Jiwon 152, Yongjeon 184, Geumnam 58, Jiwon 52, Bongseon 37, Daechon 70, Duam 81, Jwaseok 02 / Daein Market (East): Songjeong 98, Jiwon 151, Seokgok 87, Yongjeon 184, 419, Munheung 39, Maewol 06, 518, Unnim 54
Parking: Parking Lots 1 and 2 within the market; paid; 7 accessible parking spaces
Accessibility: Accessible by public transportation; accessible main entrance and pedestrian routes for people with disabilities; pedestrian routes sufficiently wide, with no level changes, gentle slopes, and well-maintained surfaces; accessible restroom

The information above is current as of the time of writing. Check the official information again before visiting.

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