Seoul breaks ground on design-revamped Sinjeungang Market, eyeing global tourist draw

Seoul is moving to create a traditional market destination on par with globally recognized landmarks in cities such as London and Barcelona. The initiative goes beyond patching up aging infrastructure — it aims to redesign a market's layout, circulation, streetscape and programming under a unified design concept, then connect it to nearby tourist attractions and alley commercial districts to draw visitors who linger rather than pass through.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government held a ground-breaking ceremony for its "design-innovation traditional market" project at Sinjeungang Market in Jung-gu on Tuesday, officially launching construction. It is the first of the city's design-innovation traditional market projects to break ground.

The design-innovation traditional market initiative moves away from the standard approach of installing uniform arcades and convenience facilities. Instead, it weaves each market's history, local identity, alley structure and commercial character into the design.

The project will receive about 18.7 billion won ($13.5 million). Plans call for an eco-friendly timber roof that admits natural light, terraced rest areas, and improved pedestrian connections linking the market to 16 surrounding alleys — transforming the site into a place where residents and tourists can shop, rest and enjoy nearby food and cultural offerings. Completion is targeted for August next year.

The design selected is "Roof Wave," a concept by architecture firms Yoap and TCA Architecture Research Institute. The scheme envisions the energy of the market's small alleys radiating outward along the roofline into the surrounding neighborhood, with a focus on creating seamless connections between the market and its adjacent lanes.

The existing arcade will be replaced with an eco-friendly timber roof structure that admits natural light, opening up the space while preserving Sinjeungang Market's distinctive atmosphere. Open-roof canopies will be installed at the entrances to all 16 alleys, softening the boundary between the market and its lanes and guiding pedestrian flow naturally between them. Terraced rest areas will be built for both visitors and vendors, and exposed electrical wiring and other infrastructure will be tidied up to improve usability and the market's visual appeal.

The city also plans to develop Sinjeungang Market into a central hub of a "Dongdaemun–Sindang nighttime tourism and commerce belt" connecting Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Hipdang-dong, the Sindang-dong tteokbokki alley and the Central Asian street in Gwanghui-dong — driving Seoul's nighttime economy.

Going forward, the city plans to work with the merchants' association and relevant agencies to develop nighttime food and cultural programs that reflect the area's local character, and to integrate the market into tourism routes and promotional campaigns.

"The goal is not simply to modernize the market's facilities, but to create a space where tourists and residents can come to rest, eat and enjoy themselves," a Seoul Metropolitan Government official said.

Following Sinjeungang Market in Jung-gu, the city will roll out design-innovation projects at Tongin Market in Jongno-gu and Cheongnyangni Comprehensive Market in Dongdaemun-gu. Design work for Tongin Market is set to be completed in November, with a ground-breaking targeted for February next year. Cheongnyangni Comprehensive Market will launch a design competition in February next year before construction begins in earnest.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who attended the ceremony, said Sinjeungang Market is "Seoul's first design-innovation traditional market — not just a facility upgrade, but a starting point for reimagining the future of markets." He added that the city would draw on its accumulated design expertise "to build a market where residents and tourists stay longer and vitality spreads to the surrounding commercial district."