Gwangjang Market Payment 2026: Why Many Stalls Won't Take Your Card

Bottom line: Many street stalls at Gwangjang Market only take bank transfers even when you ask to pay by card. Bring cash or a transfer app linked to a Korean bank account. Since June this year, a "vendor real-name system" has required each stall to register under one named operator running one stall, so shop names and who's actually running them are clearer than before.

If you didn't know: Show up with only a card and you may not be able to buy the food you want, or you'll end up wandering for 10+ minutes looking for a currency exchange to get cash. There was even a controversy over a 500ml bottle of water sold for 2,000 won — items that aren't on the menu board can be priced however the vendor likes on the spot.

Gwangjang Market is a traditional market famous for street food like bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes) and "drug" kimbap, but many foreign visitors run into trouble with how vendors take payment. News reports describe cases where vendors asked to pay by card were told only bank transfer was accepted, and some stalls set on-the-spot prices for off-menu items like bottled water, which sparked controversy. To address this, Seoul city and the market's merchant association rolled out a vendor real-name system in June 2026, requiring each stall to register under one named operator running a single stall; in April, the city, market, and merchant association also discussed measures on the water-pricing issue. That real-name system doesn't itself change payment methods, though, so it's still worth assuming many stalls simply don't take cards at all.

Journey stage: During the trip · Verified 2026-11-10