Maeil Olle Market in Seogwipo
At the heart of the walking trend in Korea is the Jeju Olle path. The Olle path-walking craze has improved business for a traditional market in Jeju and even resulted in its changing the name.
Initially held every five days from 1965, the market turned into a regular market named Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market. The emergence of large-scale marts and modernized distribution chains had taken away customers, but the popularity of Olle path and the arrival of those wanting to walk on this natural road revitalized the market.
Located in the downtown of Seogwipo in Jeju, the market is located on the route of the 6th Jeju Olle course (Soesokkak- Oedolgae). A leisurely walk inside the market offers an Olle experience among people’s daily lives.
To promote an ‘Olle culture,’ the market strictly complies with its business principles of marking the source of production and prohibiting cars after noon. These principles were set to guarantee honesty in transactions and to create an atmosphere where people can walk in the market at ease. A stream runs through the market, one meter wide and 100 meters long. It is the first such ecological space established in a traditional market in Korea.
Major shopping items
Omaegitteok (A chewy rice cake dough colored in green using mugwort, filled with a red bean paste, and then covered with pounded red bean), mandarin oranges, fresh seafood (hairtail, tile fish, eel, hagfish)
Nearby attractions
Lee Joong Seop Gallery, Cheonjiyeon Falls, Oedolgae Rock, Soesokkak Estuary
Related Columns
Jeju Olle
Transportation
Take limousine bus #600 from Jeju International Airport → Get off at Seogwipo New Gyeongnam Hotel (서귀포 뉴경남호텔) bus stop (travel time: 1 hr 20 min) and walk 10 min.
