"Foreign Foodies Flock Here: Majang Livestock Market Emerges as the Next Hot Spot After Seongsu"

A "Korean Beef Culinary Tour" Linking Myeong-dong and Seongsu Emerges

Some Shops Now See 80% Foreign Customers Thanks to SNS Buzz

Language Barriers and Table Setting Fee Confusion... Calls for Improvement

Mr. Sanye, a 32-year-old Chinese visitor, is taking a commemorative photo holding a Korean beef assorted grill set at Majang-dong Livestock Market with his friends. After touring Busan and Seongsu-dong, Mr. Sanye visited Majang-dong. Photo by Jaehyun Park

Around noon on July 30, when the sweltering heat was relentless, the Majang Livestock Wholesale Market in Seongdong-gu, Seoul was bustling. In the heart of the market where three-wheeled scooters and handcarts hurriedly passed by, merchants were eagerly vying for customers. When people stopped in front of a butcher shop, the vendors beckoned and said, "Are you looking for a particular cut?" and "We can give you a discount on the Korean beef assorted grill."

The new faces filling the market were foreign tourists. The alleyways of the market, lined with pig heads, various by-products, and rows of fresh meat under red lights, all caught the eyes of outsiders. Some looked at the unfamiliar scene from a distance or took out their smartphones to take photos.

Sukjai, a 52-year-old Thai national, is selecting cuts of Korean beef at the Majang Livestock Wholesale Market in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jaehyun Park

One merchant tapped a calculator and informed, "I can give you this much discount." Another merchant skillfully introduced various cuts of Korean beef, showing a tablet screen with explanations in multiple languages. At the checkout counter, QR codes allowing the use of overseas simple payment services such as WeChat Pay were also displayed.

The Majang Livestock Wholesale Market, a leading meat wholesale and retail market in the Seoul metropolitan area, has emerged as a new tourist spot. After visiting key tourist destinations in Seoul—such as Myeong-dong, Seongsu-dong, and Seoul Forest—tourists continue to visit to enjoy Korean beef. What was once a traditional meat distribution market is now transforming into a culinary hotspot where visitors can experience ‘K-Hanwoo’ beef.

According to the Majang Livestock Wholesale Market Merchants’ Cooperative on August 14, the market, which was established in 1963, covers an area of 25,910 square meters (7,837 pyeong) and is home to about 2,000 shops. It has handled 60–70% of the meat distribution in the metropolitan area, and has recently expanded into an interactive food tourism destination, where customers can select their own meat and grill it at nearby restaurants. As of last year, the market saw an average of about 5,000 visitors per day, and its annual sales reached 2.3 trillion won.

Recently, the presence of foreign tourists has been growing. It is estimated that foreigners now account for nearly 20% of all visitors. Merchants say that it is common for tourists to stop by Majang-dong for a meal after visiting popular areas such as nearby Seongsu-dong. In some shops, where word of mouth has spread and foreign visitors have increased, as much as 70–80% of customers are now foreign tourists.

Chinese tourist Sanye (32) is showing a post about Majang Meat Market that he saw on Xiaohongshu before his trip to Korea. Photo by Jaehyun Park

The reason Majang Livestock Wholesale Market has become popular as a tourist destination is due to overseas social networking services (SNS) such as Instagram, TikTok, and Xiaohongshu. Sanye, a 32-year-old visitor from China, said, "I came after seeing reviews on Xiaohongshu that you can enjoy high-quality beef at a relatively reasonable price. After touring Seongsu-dong, I came for lunch to eat Korean beef, and the system where you choose your own cut and grill it over charcoal is unique." Sukjai, a 52-year-old tourist from Thailand who visited after watching YouTube videos, said, "After visiting Myeong-dong, my next stop was Majang-dong for Korean beef."

As the number of foreign customers increases, the market, once focused only on wholesale and retail transactions, is also experiencing changes. Merchants are now equipped with multilingual menus and translation tablets. Many have also introduced overseas simple payment services and begun directly promoting the market through global social media channels. Inbong Yoo, CEO of Young Chuksan, said, "Lately, we have had many more foreign customers," adding, "Since the beginning of this year, we have also been advertising through overseas SNS platforms like Xiaohongshu."

Hong Kong visitors Kiki (40) and Nathan (40), who came to Majang-dong Livestock Market after watching a video by a Hong Kong YouTuber, are taking a commemorative photo in front of the store after purchasing assorted Korean beef barbecue. Photo by Jaehyun Park

The increase in foreign tourists has presented some challenges. Many merchants are not fluent in foreign languages, making communication with customers difficult. In addition, some visitors find the so-called "service charge system" confusing, where after purchasing their meat, they must pay an additional fee at a restaurant to have it grilled. Some shops are attempting to address these issues by creating their own English menus or hiring staff who can speak foreign languages.

Experts point out that to ensure the rise in foreign visitors doesn’t remain a temporary trend, but develops into a sustainable K-food tourism experience, improvements to both the market environment and tourist amenities are required. Kim Namjo, Professor of Tourism at Hanyang University, emphasized, "Given the characteristics of dining districts, cleanliness, environmental maintenance, and improved accessibility are most important. The market should install on-site tourism information centers and deploy staff regularly, and merchants must take voluntary action to prevent overcharging and unfriendly service, with comprehensive support from both the government and local authorities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.