Eat, Play, and Explore Until Daybreak! An All-Day Adventure at Jeonju Nambu Market

Eat, Play, and Explore Until Daybreak!
An All-Day Adventure at Jeonju Nambu Market

On Saturday, September 5, 2026, the night at Jeonju Nambu Market carried on until the following morning. Beginning with the night market, the journey continued through the Youth Mall and Moijang, a late-night rooftop movie screening, the early morning market, and finally a bowl of bean sprout and rice soup. It was the day of the “All-Day Trip,” an event designed for visitors to enjoy the market all night long.

The event was part of the K-Tourism Market Smile Campaign. Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, the campaign is a service improvement initiative held at traditional markets selected as K-Tourism Markets. It invites merchants to lead the way in keeping four promises: clearly displayed prices, welcoming card payments, cleanliness and hygiene, and friendly service. Each participating market hosted its own program, and Nambu Market focused its special content on the “All-Day Trip.”

Pungnammun 2-gil transformed into a car-free street

Nambu Market traces its roots to a market that formed outside Pungnammun Gate in the early Joseon period. It opened as a public market in 1905 and is now Jeonju’s leading traditional market, home to some 800 shops. This past March, it became the only market in the Honam region selected for the second phase of K-Tourism Markets. What did Nambu Market’s early-autumn “All-Day Project” look like? Step into the lively scene from that memorable day.

Follow Six Missions on the All-Day Trip

On the day of the project, a Smile Campaign information booth was set up in the middle of Pungnammun 2-gil. This was where visitors received the leaflet for the All-Day Trip stamp tour, a highlight of the All-Day Project. It listed six missions: explore the market and join a Smile Campaign event; look around the Youth Mall; enjoy “Moijang”; watch a late-night film at the Sky Garden; visit the early morning market; and have a Jeonju-style breakfast. By simply following the route, visitors had plenty to keep them entertained from evening until the next morning.

All-Day Trip leaflet / Collecting stamps at each stop

Visitors received a stamp after completing each mission. Those who collected them all received a reusable market cart and market vouchers as gifts. The early morning market and breakfast sections were prestamped, inviting participants to enjoy those hours freely without having to prove completion.

Jeonju Nambu Market Shines Brighter at Night

★ 17:00 | A Night Market Full of Delicious Flavors

At 5 p.m., a 100-meter section of Pungnammun 2-gil, stretching from Pungnammun Intersection toward the Antique Alley, became a car-free street. It was transformed into the “Night Market,” which continued until midnight. Tables lined the center of the road, offering places to sit down with food purchased from the stalls.

Night market food / Diners enjoying dinner at tables set up in the street

The first mission was to explore the market. With so many night market dishes to choose from, selecting what to eat was part of the fun. Unusual offerings rarely seen at other night markets, such as grilled octopus skewers and stir-fried chicken feet, stood out. Lines formed in front of nearly every stall. The affordable prices made it easy to buy several dishes, spread them across a table, and share.

Even when no special event is scheduled, the night market stays open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Many stalls, however, close early after 11 p.m. when they run out of ingredients, so arrive sooner if there is something in particular you want to try.

Receipt-verification roulette event

The Smile Campaign was also underway in one corner of the market. By promoting clearly displayed prices, card payments, cleanliness and hygiene, and friendly service, the campaign aims to make the market more comfortable for visitors. A roulette event at the booth allowed anyone who showed a receipt to participate, with useful prizes such as market vouchers and shopping bags. The area bustled with people holding receipts and waiting for their turn at the wheel.

Youth Mall

Dance team “Hexcode” performing at “Moijang” / DJ party at “Moijang”

★ 20:00 | The Distinctive Youth Mall and Moijang Club Party

Korea’s first Youth Mall occupies the second floor of Building 6 in the market. A merchandise shop, cafés, handicraft stores, a bar for solo drinkers, and a traditional liquor shop each add their own character. Meanwhile, a very different scene unfolded at “Moijang,” a multipurpose cultural space that opened in the horticultural market building this past March. Dance team Hexcode performed routines spanning several genres, drawing cheers after every number. When the DJ took over, the lights dimmed and the music grew louder. Before long, the space in front of the stage was packed with people moving to the beat. It was a full-fledged club party in the heart of a traditional market.

Football fans visiting the market in team jerseys

★ 21:00 | A Surprise Event for Football Fans

A special promotion was also held for spectators attending the Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors versus Pohang Steelers match at Jeonju World Cup Stadium at 7 p.m. that day. The first 1,000 people to take a photo at the market photo zone in a football jersey and upload it to their Instagram Story received a market voucher. When the match ended around 9 p.m., green jerseys began appearing one by one. Jeonbuk’s 2–0 victory made the mood even more festive. Pohang supporters were there too, and it was heartwarming to see fans gather at the same market regardless of the final score.

★ 22:00 | A Late-Night Movie on the Rooftop

At 10 p.m., the late-night film screenings began at the Sky Garden on the roof of Building 2. Mamma Mia! was shown first, followed by Little Forest at midnight. Visitors with advance reservations took seats on a first-come, first-served basis, while those without reservations were also free to enjoy the films wherever seats remained.

Late-night film festival at the “Sky Garden” / Traditional liquor cocktail from “Solok” in the Youth Mall

Despite the late hour, the Sky Garden was packed. Instead of cola, many viewers chose makgeolli and cocktails sold by “Solok” at one side of the rooftop. The freshly filtered makgeolli went down remarkably smoothly. The alcohol-free rose and pomegranate ade was both tangy and sweet. With an open view over Jeonjucheon Stream, the soundtrack of the film, and good drinks coming together, the mood became so immersive that it was easy to forget we were in the middle of a market.

★ 03:00 | The “Goblin Market” That Appears and Vanishes

About an hour after the second film ended, at 3 a.m., merchants began setting up one by one along Jeonjucheon Stream in front of Nambu Market. Regardless of the event, this market operates every day from 4 to 9 a.m. between Ssajeon Bridge and Maegokgyo Bridge. It is also known as the “Goblin Market” because it disappears after daybreak. Farmers sell produce they have grown themselves, so the goods are fresh and inexpensive.

The busy early morning market along Jeonjucheon Stream before sunrise / Merchants setting up the early morning market at 3 a.m.

By 5 a.m., the lanes were full of people. The sight of the day beginning before the sun had even risen felt unfamiliar yet fascinating. Because this is a permanent market, the scene can be experienced any day, even after the special program has ended.

★ 06:00 | Breakfast, Nambu Market Style

The final mission of the All-Day Trip was breakfast. Two signature Jeonju market foods are pisundae (sundae with pork blood) and bean sprout and rice soup. Long enjoyed by merchants and shoppers alike, the soup is such a beloved everyday dish that Jeonju even has its own distinct “Nambu Market style.” It is served using the toryeom method, in which hot broth is repeatedly poured over the rice to warm it, accompanied by a separate soft-poached egg.

Nambu Market-style bean sprout and rice soup

Hyundaiok’s Nambu Market branch is especially famous for preparing the dish this way. Opening at 6 a.m., it was already bustling early in the morning with merchants, neighborhood residents, and travelers. There are also many 24-hour soup restaurants inside the market, so you can stop for a meal whenever hunger strikes during the night.

The Smile Campaign, late-night film festival, DJ set, and other special programs lasted only one day, but the night market and early morning market await visitors in their usual places. After sunset, lines long and short form at the night market, and the second-floor Youth Mall lights up. Before daybreak, the goblins set up their stalls along the stream. This time, instead of going to the market to shop, why not go there to have fun? To experience Jeonju Nambu Market to the fullest, follow this route for yourself.