Korean street food guide: what to try, what it is made of and where to find it

By the Real Korea 101 editorial team · Published November 13, 2026 · Sources checked November 13, 2026

Short answer: The classic Korean street foods are tteokbokki (rice cakes in sweet and spicy red pepper sauce), eomuk (fish cake on skewers in broth), sundae (Korean sausage), twigim (battered fried snacks), gimbap and, in winter, hotteok and bungeoppang. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) groups most of these as bunsik and says they are easy to find at traditional markets, street stalls and around tourist and shopping areas. Traditional markets such as Gwangjang Market in Seoul and Seomun Market in Daegu are the most reliable places to try many at once.

What "bunsik" means

KTO explains that bunsik literally means "food made from flour" and refers to reasonably priced Korean dishes. The KTO 2023 Guide to Translating Korean Food uses a similar definition: food made mainly from flour that you can eat quickly at a bunsik shop, with tteokbokki and ramyeon as its main examples. In practice, the same dishes appear at street stalls, in market food alleys and in small bunsik restaurants, which is why "street food" and "bunsik" overlap so much in Korea.

12 Korean street foods at a glance

Descriptions come from KTO. Where the KTO 2023 guide sets a standard English menu name, we list it; where it does not, we say so.

"Season" reflects how KTO describes each snack, not a rule. Many winter snacks are sold whenever vendors choose to make them.

Savory classics

Tteokbokki

KTO calls tteokbokki one of the most common foods sold by street vendors and notes fusion versions made with jjajang (black bean sauce) or garlic toppings. It also records that the royal court version was simmered in soy sauce rather than chili, and that gochujang tteokbokki is believed to date from the 1950s. On menus, the KTO guide translates "rice tteokbokki" (쌀떡볶이) as Rice Tteokbokki and soupy "gungmul tteokbokki" as Tteokbokki in Sauce.

Eomuk

Eomuk is fish cake made mainly from ground fish meat. KTO says it is usually skewered and boiled in a broth of radish and green onion. The guide's English menu names render eomuk as "Fishcake", for example in Fishcake and Mandu Tteokbokki.

Sundae

Korean sundae has nothing to do with ice cream. KTO describes it as a traditional sausage made of pig intestine lining stuffed with bean curd, vegetables and glass noodles, usually dipped in seasoned salt and in some regions served with ssamjang, a paste of gochujang and doenjang. Squid can replace the intestine; the guide translates that version, ojingeo-sundae, as Stuffed Squid.

Twigim and kkochi

Twigim is the general term for battered, deep-fried snacks. KTO lists squid, dumplings, potatoes, shrimp and vegetables as the usual fillings and says they are often dipped in soy sauce or tteokbokki sauce. Kkochi means skewers; KTO says the most common is dak kkochi (chicken skewers), and that sausages, fish cakes and tteokgalbi patties are also often skewered.

Sweet winter snacks

KTO describes three winter favorites. Hotteok are chewy pancakes usually filled with sugar and walnuts or pine nuts; some contain vegetables or cheese instead, and the dough can be colored green with green tea or corn powder. Bungeoppang takes its name from its carp shape (bungeo means carp) and is filled with red bean paste, cream or cheese; its smaller flower-shaped cousin is gukhwappang, and gyeranppang has a whole egg baked inside instead of red beans. Hoppang is a steamed bun with fillings such as red bean paste, vegetables or pizza ingredients, sold on the street and in convenience stores.

Traditional markets to try them

Gwangjang Market, Seoul

VISITKOREA describes Gwangjang Market as the first permanent market in Korea and says its most popular section is the food street connected to the East Gate, North Gate 2 and South Gate 1. KTO's overview of traditional markets names bindaetteok (mung bean pancake) and gimbap as the most popular foods sold there.

• Address: 88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• Hours listed by VISITKOREA: market 09:00 to 18:00; food street 09:00 to 23:00
• Closed: Sundays, but VISITKOREA says the food street is open all year round
• Cards: listed as accepted

Seomun Market, Daegu

A 2023 VISITKOREA traditional market feature says Seomun Market was one of the three major markets of the Joseon dynasty and moved to its current site in 1922. It lists sujebi, kalguksu, banquet noodles, Daegu's flat dumplings, hotteok and bean sprout tteokbokki among the market's foods, and a weekend night market with dozens of food stalls.

• Address: 50 Dalseong-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu (Seomun Market Station, Daegu Subway Line 3, exit 2 or 3)
• Hours listed by VISITKOREA in 2023: 10:00 to 19:00; night market Friday and Saturday 19:00 to 23:30, Sunday 19:00 to 22:30
• Closed: 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month

Other markets KTO highlights for food

• Tongin Market, Seoul: known for its Dosirak Cafe, where you buy a lunch tray and old-style brass coins (yeopjeon) to spend at food stalls around the market.
• Busan Gukje Market: KTO lists bibim dangmyeon (spicy glass noodles), yubu jeongol (fried tofu hot pot) and ssiat hotteok (seed-filled hotteok) as Busan specialties found there.
• Chuncheon Romantic Market: known for dak gangjeong and dakgalbi.
• Incheon Sinpo International Market: known for dak gangjeong, jjinppang (steamed buns) and dumplings.

Market hours change, and these listings carry the date they were written. Check the market's own site or call the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline (+82-2-1330) before a special trip.

Paying and practical tips

• Cash: VISITKOREA's shopping page says most stores take credit cards, but some businesses such as traditional markets and street shops may only accept cash, so it advises carrying some.
• No tipping: VISITKOREA says there is no need to tip at Korean restaurants.
• Sitting down: Market food alleys often work like small restaurants with shared counters. Our guide on how to order at a Korean restaurant covers ordering phrases and paying.
• Reading the name: For dishes beyond snacks, see our list of 30 Korean dishes with official English names.

Opening hours and payment options are taken from official listings and may change. Confirm before visiting.