Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town, Started at Ma Bok-rim's Stall in 1953

Shindang-dong Food Alley Created by Ma Bok-rim's Handcart in 1953

The starting point of Shindang-dong Tteokbokki Town was 1953. Seoul Future Heritage records that, right after the Korean War, Ma Bok-rim began selling tteokbokki from a handcart, after which specialty restaurants gathered and the alley took shape. Tourism materials from Jung-gu, Seoul, also explain that after the war, in Shindang-dong where evacuees had flocked, people sold thickly sliced garaetteok mixed with gochujang.

The cooking method here is closer to instant tteokbokki simmered in a pot at the table than to a pre-made snack. The Korean Regional Culture Portal explains that food made by stir-frying rice cakes and vegetables in a seasoning blended with gochujang and chunjang began to be sold in Shindang-dong around 1953. In the late 1970s, as more shops opened and demand from high school baseball spectators at nearby Dongdaemun Baseball Stadium and from students was added, the alley's recognition grew.

Route Starting from Exits 7 and 8 of Sindang Station to Toegyero 76-gil 54

The guide address is 1st and 2nd floors, 54 Toegyero 76-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, and the coordinates are 37.562934, 127.014806. By subway, take Line 2 or Line 6 to Sindang Station and exit from Exit 7 or 8. Commercial district survey data for the Jung-gu area also classifies Tteokbokki Town as a food street market near Exits 7 and 8 of Sindang Station.

If you are using a bus, set 'Shindang-dong Tteokbokki Town' bus stop as your destination. Seoul Future Heritage guidance notes that Jung-gu village buses No. 02 and No. 187 stop there. Since the alley itself is a pedestrian space lined with restaurants, it is better to move large luggage or strollers in the early afternoon rather than during crowded meal times.

• Subway: Line 2/6, Sindang Station, Exit 7 or 8
• Bus: Shindang-dong Tteokbokki Town stop, Jung-gu 02 and 187
• Address: 1st and 2nd floors, 54 Toegyero 76-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

Free Alley, with 24-Hour and Closing Times Varying by Restaurant

Shindang-dong Tteokbokki Town is a street-style commercial district, so there is no admission fee, and no single operating hours, holiday schedule, or main contact number has been confirmed for the entire alley. Therefore, you should check the operating status of the restaurant you choose separately before visiting. It is not a place you enter like a tourist attraction; instead, you order food and drinks from each establishment.

Among the major establishments, I Love Shindang-dong Tteokbokki is listed in tourism information linked with the Korea Tourism Organization as open from 00:00 to 24:00, with phone reservations available, and the phone number 02-2232-7872. This is information for that specific establishment, not the common operating hours of the entire alley. If you plan a late meal, it is safer not to rely only on the 24-hour listing and to confirm holiday, wait time, and ordering availability by phone right before departure.

Instant Tteokbokki Eaten After the Pot Boils, and Four Things to Check Before Ordering

The key to Shindang-dong-style tteokbokki is the cooking flow of putting rice cakes, fish cakes, vegetables, and broth into a pot and then eating after it boils. A Yonhap News field report introduces the process of pouring in the broth and completing the dish once it comes to a boil. Therefore, if you need to eat quickly and move on, you should factor the cooking time into your schedule.

Before ordering, it is a good idea to ask each establishment about 1) whether there is a minimum number of diners or a basic set, 2) whether the spiciness can be adjusted, 3) how add-ons and fried rice are added, and 4) whether card or cash payment is accepted. The restaurants in the alley share the same food culture, but prices, set composition, and operating hours are not standardized. If you are sensitive to spicy food or visiting alone, you should first check the minimum order amount and seasoning strength to reduce leftovers.

Why It Endured from Dongdaemun Baseball Stadium Crowds to the 'Hipdang-dong' Commercial Area

The reason Shindang-dong Tteokbokki Town has survived until now cannot be explained only by the postwar food situation. Jung-gu tourism materials explain that after high school baseball games ended at Dongdaemun Baseball Stadium at the time, hungry teenagers came to this alley. In other words, it was the result of postwar demand for cheap snacks overlapping with the sports and school commute population around Dongdaemun in one alley.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government recognizes the Shindang-dong Tteokbokki Alley as a dense cluster of specialty tteokbokki restaurants that formed starting in the 1953 era and designated it as Seoul Future Heritage. Today, it lies within a pedestrian route connecting the food streets around Sindang Station, Seoul Central Market, Ssaetgol Street, and the Dongdaemun area. If you want to look beyond just snacking and understand the background of the food culture, it is better to continue on to nearby Gwanghuimun and Dongdaemun History & Culture Park.

A 2- to 3-Hour Evening Route Linking Gwanghuimun and DDP

If you only eat a meal, you can finish in about an hour, but if you want to also see the historical location of the alley, it is better to set aside 2 to 3 hours. From Sindang Station, you can move to Tteokbokki Town, eat, walk toward Gwanghuimun, and then connect to Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) and Dongdaemun History & Culture Park. Jung-gu, Seoul's 'Gwanghuimun Moonlight Road' also presents Heunginjimun, DDP, Gwanghuimun, Blacksmith Street, Shindang-dong Tteokbokki Town, and Shindang-dong Ssaetgol Street as one course.

Wheelchair and stroller users should check the width of entrances, stairs, and restroom locations for each restaurant in the alley, so when making a reservation or asking by phone, confirm the seating floor and whether there is an elevator. Whether foreign-language menus and guidance are provided is also not a common service across the entire alley, so confirmation by establishment is necessary. If you need a main contact number, you can refer to I Love Shindang-dong Tteokbokki at 02-2232-7872, but this is not a reservation desk for other restaurants.