Sorae Fish Market

Overview

Sorae Fish Market is Incheon's largest seafood market, where wholesale dealers and retail stalls sell an enormous variety of fresh and dried seafood. Visitors can buy live fish, crab, octopus, or shellfish from the ground-floor market and have it prepared sashimi-style on the spot at upstairs restaurants.

Highlights

• Live Seafood Hall: Tanks and beds of crab, shrimp, flatfish, abalone, and sea squirt — pick your own.
• Upper-floor Restaurants: For a small cutting fee (₩5,000–₩10,000), chefs slice your purchase into sashimi platters.
• Dried-Fish Alley: Stalls selling dried squid, anchovies, and seaweed at wholesale prices.

History

The market traces its origins to a small fishing wharf at the mouth of the Sorae River. It grew into a major wholesale hub in the 1970s and was relocated to its current modern building in the early 2000s.

Visitor Tips

• Tip 1: Prices are negotiable — compare a few stalls before buying.
• Tip 2: The market is busiest early in the morning when the freshest catches arrive; weekends are crowded.
• Duration: 45 minutes – 1 hour.