Korea's three coastlines — the Yellow Sea, the South Sea, and the East Sea — produce an astonishing variety of seafood that has shaped the country's food culture for millennia. From live raw fish platters (hoe, 회) sliced tableside at Busan's Jagalchi Market to the midnight oyster tents of Noryangjin in Seoul, seafood in Korea is eaten with a directness and freshness that is hard to find anywhere else in the world. This guide walks you through what to order, where to go, and how much to pay.

Raw Fish (Hoe, 회) — The Flagship Experience

Hoe is Korean-style sashimi, but the experience differs from Japanese omakase. In Korea, sliced raw fish arrives on a large communal platter and is eaten in several ways: dipped in cho-gochujang (초고추장, red pepper vinegar sauce) for heat, wrapped in perilla leaf (kkaennip, 깻잎) with garlic and sliced chilli, or placed on a crisp lettuce leaf with a smear of fermented soybean paste (doenjang, 된장). The wrapping method — called ssam (쌈) — is the most satisfying approach for first-timers.

The two most common fish at Korean raw fish restaurants (hoe-jip, 회집) are flounder (gwangeo, 광어) and rockfish/sea bass (ureok, 우럭). Both are mild, slightly firm, and well suited to the pungent accompaniments. Prices at fish markets are typically set by the gram of live fish selected from the tank — expect to pay ₩30,000–60,000 for a 1kg flounder platter for two people.

Must-Try Seafood Dishes — Ranked by Accessibility

  • Haemul Pajeon (해물파전) — Best for first-timers. Thick, crispy seafood and green onion pancake, loaded with squid, prawns, and oysters. Universally beloved. Perfect with makgeolli (막걸리, milky rice wine). Price: ₩12,000–18,000.
  • Eomuk / Odeng (어묵/오뎅) — Best cheap snack. Fish cake skewers simmering in a savoury broth. Found at every market and pojangmacha. The broth is free to sip. Price: ₩500–1,500 per skewer.
  • Ganjang Gejang (간장게장) — Best for adventurous eaters. Raw crab marinated in soy sauce for weeks until silky-soft. Called "rice thief" (밥도둑) because it is so intensely savoury you cannot stop eating rice with it. Price: ₩30,000–50,000 for a crab set.
  • Haemul Jeongol (해물전골) — Best for groups. A bubbling hotpot of mixed seafood — clams, prawns, crab, squid — in a spicy broth, cooked at the table. Rich, warming, and shareable. Price: ₩35,000–55,000 for two.
  • Jokbal with Haemul (조개구이) — Best outdoor experience. Grilled shellfish — clams (jogae, 조개), scallops (garibi, 가리비), oysters (gul, 굴) — cooked directly on a charcoal grill at your table. Common at seaside pojangmacha tents. Price: ₩15,000–30,000 per platter.
  • Nakji Bokkeum (낙지볶음) — Best spice challenge. Stir-fried whole small octopus in a fiery gochujang sauce. Served sizzling on an iron plate. Pairs well with cold beer. Price: ₩15,000–22,000.
  • Galchi Jorim (갈치조림) — Jeju specialty. Braised hairtail fish in a spicy radish and chilli stew. A Jeju Island signature dish that has become popular nationwide. Price: ₩12,000–20,000.

Best Places to Eat Seafood in Korea

Jagalchi Market (자갈치시장), Busan — Top pick overall. Korea's largest fish market and the definitive seafood destination. The ground floor is a wholesale fish auction; the upper floors are restaurants where you select live fish from tanks and have it prepared as hoe, grilled, or in soup while you wait. The atmosphere — vendors calling out prices, tanks bubbling, families sharing platters — is impossible to replicate. Open daily 5am–10pm. Take subway Line 1 to Jagalchi station.

Noryangjin Fish Market (노량진수산시장), Seoul — Best in Seoul. Seoul's main wholesale seafood market, operating 24 hours. You select live seafood from the ground-floor stalls, pay by weight, then carry it upstairs to a restaurant that prepares it for a small cooking fee (₩5,000–10,000). Best visited between midnight and 4am for the busiest atmosphere and freshest stock. Take subway Line 1 or 9 to Noryangjin station.

Sokcho Jungang Market (속초중앙시장), Gangwon — Best for East Sea seafood. Famous for ojingeo-sundae (오징어순대, squid stuffed with vegetables) and fresh squid (ojingeo, 오징어). The East Sea squid is considered Korea's best. Price: ₩10,000–15,000 per squid.

Incheon Chinatown & Yeonan Pier (인천 연안부두) — Best day trip from Seoul. The pier area is lined with raw fish restaurants. Famous for kkotgae (꽃게, flower crab) in spring and autumn.

Seafood by Season

  • Spring (Mar–May): Sea squirt (meongge, 멍게), abalone (jeonbok, 전복), fresh clams
  • Summer (Jun–Aug): Jellyfish (haepari, 해파리), cold raw fish, grilled eel (jangeo, 장어)
  • Autumn (Sep–Nov): Flower crab (kkotgae, 꽃게), oysters (gul, 굴), hairtail fish (galchi, 갈치). Peak season overall.
  • Winter (Dec–Feb): Oysters at their fattest, ganjang gejang, and haemul jeongol hotpot

Price Guide

  • Hoe platter for 2 (at fish market): ₩30,000–60,000 depending on fish weight
  • Haemul pajeon: ₩12,000–18,000
  • Haemul jeongol for 2: ₩35,000–55,000
  • Grilled shellfish platter: ₩15,000–30,000
  • Ganjang gejang crab set: ₩30,000–50,000
  • Eomuk skewer (street snack): ₩500–1,500
  • Market cooking fee (to prepare your own fish): ₩5,000–10,000

Quick Tips

  • At fish markets, always confirm the price per 100g before selecting your fish — weights can surprise you.
  • Ask for the fish to be prepared as hoe (raw), maeuntang (매운탕, spicy fish soup from the bones), or grilled (gui, 구이). Most restaurants include a bone soup at the end of a hoe meal at no extra charge.
  • Cho-gochujang (the red dipping sauce) is spicy. If you are heat-sensitive, ask for ganjang (간장, soy sauce) instead.
  • Jagalchi is best on weekend mornings when selection is fullest.
  • Noryangjin is open 24/7 — late night visits (after midnight) are a Seoul rite of passage.