What to Eat in Gyeongju

Last checked: October 2026

Gyeongju food is simple and local: a big ssambap table near the royal tombs, red bean buns to take home, and a rice wine one family has brewed for generations. For cheap eats, go to the two traditional markets downtown.

Seeing the sights? See the Gyeongju travel guide.

Start with

Ssambap

To take home

Hwangnam bread

Local drink

Gyodong beopju

Overcharged?

Call 1330

14 Gyeongju foods to try

• Ssambap set meal 쌈밥

  ssambap

  A table of leafy vegetables to wrap rice in, with grilled fish or meat, doenjang stew, and side dishes. Some places serve it with bulgogi.

  Where: The streets around Daereungwon

• Hwangnam bread 황남빵

  hwangnamppang

  A small bun filled with red bean paste, made in Hwangnam-dong since 1939. Gyeongju's best-known souvenir.

  Where: Around Daereungwon, Gyeongju Station, the express bus terminal

• Gyeongju bread 경주빵

  gyeongjuppang

  A similar soft bun with lightly sweet red bean paste, sold under many brands.

  Where: Bakeries all over the city center

• Chalbori bread 찰보리빵

  chalborippang

  A soft, chewy barley cake, like a small pancake, made with Gyeongju glutinous barley and oats. The red bean paste isn't very sweet.

  Where: Bakeries in the city center

• Juryeonggu bread 주령구빵

  juryeongguppang

  A bun shaped like the 14-sided Silla dice found at Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond. One of several newer "Silla" breads.

  Where: Hwangnidan-gil, Cheomseong-ro

• Spicy beef soup 육개장

  yukkaejang

  Gyeongju's local-food brand Byeolchaeban makes this spicy soup with Gyeongju Hanwoo beef, bracken, and gondalbi, a wild green.

  Where: City-designated restaurant inside Gyeongju Station

• Gondalbi bibimbap 곤달비 비빔밥

  gondalbi bibimbap

  Rice with gondalbi greens, mushrooms, and minari, mixed with a doenjang sauce instead of gochujang. Another Byeolchaeban dish.

  Where: City-designated Byeolchaeban restaurants

• Gyeongju haejangguk 해장국

  haejangkkuk

  A soybean-sprout and anchovy broth with buckwheat jelly, seaweed, and shiitake. The Paluijeong haejangguk street once had about 30 restaurants; one was left in September 2026, at 10,000 won a bowl.

  Where: Paluijeong

• Hanwoo beef 한우

  hanu

  Gyeongju raises more Hanwoo, Korea's native beef cattle, than any other area. The local brand is "Gyeongju Cheonnyeon Hanwoo".

  Where: Jungang Market and BBQ restaurants

• Beef-head soup 소머리국밥

  someori gukppap

  A rich soup of beef-head meat served with rice.

  Where: A row of restaurants in Jungang Market

• Salted shark 돔베기

  dombegi

  Salted shark meat cut into blocks, a traditional food of the Gyeongsang region.

  Where: Jungang Market

• Flatfish sashimi 참가자미회

  chamgajami hoe

  Chamgajami flatfish is Gyeongju's official city fish. Shops at Gampo Port pack sliced raw fish into lunch boxes.

  Where: Gampo Public Market, on the coast

• Burdock gimbap and sundae 우엉김밥 / 찰순대

  ueong gimppap / chalsundae

  Rice rolls with braised burdock root, and sticky-rice blood sausage.

  Where: Seongdong Market snack alley

• Korean buffet 한식뷔페

  hansik beopet

  Pick from a dozen or more side dishes with rice. Good value, the city says.

  Where: Seongdong Market "Korean buffet village"

Gyeongju's breads

• Hwangnam bread was named a local traditional food in 1994. It's one brand, sold in shops around Daereungwon.
• Gyeongju bread is the same style of red bean bun, made by many bakeries.
• Chalbori bread is soft and chewy, like a small pancake. The city calls it the snack and gift to take home from Gyeongju.
• Newer breads copy Silla shapes: Juryeonggu bread (a Silla dice), Cheonnyeon Miso bread (the "smiling face" roof tile), and Daereung bread (a tomb mound).
• The city's specialty shop inside Gyeongju Station is open 08:00–21:30, handy before your train.

How locals do it

Koreans coming back from Gyeongju usually bring a box of Hwangnam bread as a gift. If you want some for friends at home, buy it on your last day so it's fresh.

Markets

Jungang Market

• Gyeongju's main market, with about 700 shops, a row of beef-head soup restaurants, and Gyeongju Hanwoo beef. A five-day market fills the streets on dates ending in 2 and 7.
• Night market: about 20 food stalls from 18:00 to 23:00. Open days change by season and the sources don't agree. In May 2026 it was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and on quiet weekdays many stalls closed around 21:30. Call 054-743-3696 to check.

Seongdong Market

• Gyeongju's largest wholesale market, about 550 shops, across from the old Gyeongju Station downtown. Open 07:00–20:00. Closed on the first and third Sunday of the month, though some shops open anyway.
• Go for the snack alley (burdock gimbap, sundae) and the Korean buffet restaurants.

Five-day markets outside downtown

• Gampo Market on the coast: dates ending in 3 and 8.
• Bulguk Market near Bulguksa: dates ending in 4 and 9.

Gyeongju drinks

• Gyodong beopju (교동법주, gyodong beopjju): a clear rice wine brewed by the Choi family in Gyochon Village, 16–18% alcohol and about 100 days in the making. It has been national intangible heritage since 1986. Buy it at the family's shop in Gyochon Village: 35,000 won for 900 ml in a paper box, 40,000 won in a wooden box.
• Gyeongju beopju (경주법주) is a different drink: a 13% rice wine made by a company. The names are close, so check the label.
• Makgeolli: a Choi family brewery in Gyochon Village sells a 12% draft makgeolli, open 11:00–20:00.
• Craft beer: Hwasu Brewery at Bomun Lake makes "Gyeongju Beer", with a pub and cans to take away.

If you're overcharged

Since April 13, 2026, Gyeongju City has run an overcharging report center: prices or weights that differ from what's shown, or sudden price hikes. Take a photo of the menu and your receipt, then call the tourism helpline 1330 (+82-2-1330 from a foreign phone) or the city at 054-779-6235.