South Korea, 2024

First stop in Busan, after we’d dropped off our bags, was the ‘Jagalchi Fish Market.’

Located on the seaside road in Busan's Jung-gu, it is Korea's largest seafood market, selling both live and dried fish. After the Korean War, the market became a fish market. Most of the people who sell fish are women, so the vendors here are called Jagalchi Ajumeoni, "ajumeoni" meaning middle-aged or married woman in Korean.

The premise of the market is that you enter on the ground floor, buy live fish and then take them upstairs for the women prepare them. They’ll be served either raw or cooked.

The women are known for being very pushy for a sale and the amount that lifted fish out of tanks for us to take a closer look, or attempted to force us to take a seat in their restaurant was crazy! I think I’ve seen enough octopus 🐙, and crabs 🦀 to last a life time!Lue lisää