The Real Korea Behind the Scene
How was a market in the Daejanggeum era different from a market today?
① The Scene
Jang-geum moves through the marketplace outside the palace, passing by neighborhoods where lower-status people lived and the markets around them.
② Ordinary to Koreans, but…
Because neighborhood markets and haggling — or getting a little extra "for free" — are still completely normal in Korea today, the market scenes in historical dramas don't feel especially foreign.
③ Here's the Real Culture
Markets in the Joseon dynasty were often periodic rather than open every day — the best-known form was the "five-day market," held on a fixed rotating schedule — while the sijeon, permanent government-licensed shops inside the capital, held exclusive rights to sell specific goods. Social hierarchy shaped the marketplace too: people from the baekjeong class, who faced heavy discrimination, often lived in separate villages and handled most of the butchering and leatherwork. As Korea opened its ports and modernized, these five-day markets and sijeon shops evolved into the permanent markets we know today, like Gwangjang Market (founded 1905) and Namdaemun Market.
④ Is It Still True Today?
Many traditional markets struggle against big-box supermarkets and online shopping, but places like Gwangjang Market and Namdaemun Market are still thriving. In fact, they've recently become popular again — this time as street-food tour destinations for foreign visitors who want both the food and the old-market atmosphere.
