There's a Time-Traveling Olive Young Hiding Inside Gwangjang Market and Nobody Told Me

Okay, so I went to Gwangjang Market knowing I'd hit up the famous line-up kkwabaegi (twisted doughnut) stall, and instead, I got distracted for like an hour by a beauty store. Not just any beauty store — a retro 1960s "trading company" themed Olive Young that's tucked up a random staircase between food stalls.

Let me walk you through the whole vibe (and yes, I took a LOT of pictures), because Gwangjang Market is low-key one of the most underrated spots in Seoul right now and people need to know.

Olive Young Gwangjang Market branch entrance with a vibrant neon green and pink winter sale banner standing next to a retro light-up sign.

Wait, There's an Olive Young Hidden Inside a Traditional Market?

Here's the thing about Gwangjang Market (광장시장) — it's one of Korea's oldest and biggest traditional markets, founded back in 1905. The sign inside literally says "120년 전통의 광장시장" (120 years of Gwangjang Market tradition), and the massive, round brick dome ceiling makes it feel like I walked into a historic grand central station.

It's basically ground zero for Korean street food, with rows and rows of stalls selling gwangjang kko-ma gimbap (mini rice rolls), bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes), sundae, and deep-fried everything.

A historic round brick dome ceiling inside Gwangjang Market with a sign celebrating its 120-year tradition.

But if I pull back a little and look up at the dome sharing space with the classic food stalls, I can see a whole directory of modern retail brands. Olive Young, Zzang Games, Skinband, Crocs, and Lifework are all stacked up on sleek signage like a mini-mall menu. It is an wild blend of heritage and hype.

A wide shot of the Gwangjang Market central dome featuring retail directory signs for Olive Young, Zzang Games, and a green Grand Opening banner.

Finding the Door (It Took Me a Minute)

From the busy food alley downstairs, you'd never guess there's a premium K-beauty playground up there. I just saw a regular concrete stairwell with a beautiful wooden sign reading "올영양행 洋行" (Ole-Young-Yang-Haeng) floating right above the doors.

A retro wooden storefront sign reading Ole Young Yang Haeng in Korean and Hanja characters above a brick staircase entry.

Once I committed and started climbing, a whole cluster of vintage signage clipped to the exposed overhead pipes guided my way. I passed a 1950s-style beauty ad poster, a dark forest green arrow pointing to "ALL LIVE YOUNG," a magenta lipstick-shaped "Healthy Beauty" placard, and a classic red "No Smoking" sign for good measure.

Vintage advertising banners and directional signs clipped onto industrial white pipes leading up the stairwell.

As I climbed higher, the retro vibe got even stronger. There's a soft green sign reading "Yang-Haeng" in Hanja alongside an elegant coral pink poster with cursive lettering.

And then, finally, I hit the actual glass doorway. Stepping past the crisp "OLIVE YOUNG" floor mat, the space completely opened up into a brightly lit sanctuary lined with premium wood paneling and retro tiled floors.

The main entrance view through glass doors revealing clean wooden product shelving and colorful promo towers inside.

The name 올영양행 (Ole-Young-Yang-Haeng) is a total throwback to old-school Korean yanghaeng trading companies from the mid-1900s—the kind that used to import rare, luxury foreign goods. The entire space radiates premium vintage department store energy, and honestly? The vibes are immaculate.

Okay, But Here's Why I'm Low-Key Obsessed

The second I walked in, it was giving "1960s Korean beauty parlor cosplay." There's a whole corner styled like an old-timey boutique with a vintage sewing machine, dusty-looking glass cabinets, and hand-drawn vintage ad posters that say things like 예쁘다 (yeppeuda, "she's pretty") in old-school fonts.

A beautiful vintage tailor corner with an antique sewing machine, retro beauty posters, and bolts of colorful fabric.

Turns out this isn't just random theming—this exact spot on the second floor of Gwangjang Market used to be packed with judan-jib (traditional silk and fabric shops) back when this entire floor was lined with custom hanbok artisans.

The sewing machine and the bolts of silk aren't just for decoration; they're a beautiful nod to the market's history.

A wide view of a wooden cabinet display with rolls of premium silk fabrics and vintage apothecary jars on glass shelves.

There's even a gorgeous dedicated cabinet featuring a vintage ad for "올영양행 파우더" (a beauty face powder, packaged in a stunning floral pink tin), styled next to a hand-drawn poster of a woman.

A vintage beauty vanity display showcasing an oversized pink floral powder tin and retro Korean cosmetic posters.

They even set up an antique wooden vanity with hexagon and octagon mirrors, a tasseled vintage table lamp, and old-school skincare bottles. The level of detail here is insane.

An elegant antique wooden vanity with geometric mirrors, a vintage fringed lamp, and retro product displays.

And I could actually step into a real dressing nook tucked into the store! It's complete with hanging traditional robes, a vanity mirror, and a little black mesh hat (gat). It's a small but incredibly thoughtful way of keeping a piece of the market's past alive inside a modern beauty store.

A traditional Hanbok dress-up booth inside Olive Young featuring green silk robes and a vintage wooden vanity mirror.

Right next to this historic corner, a massive structural pillar is plastered with old-school "Healthy Beauty" prints, standing next to a sleek wood-carved sign and a mini forest of potted plants. It's a gorgeous green oasis in the middle of all the vintage woodwork.

A structural column inside the store decorated with vintage prints next to a wooden sign and green potted plants.

Even the back exit mat features an intricate, elegant floral rose pattern with gold lettering that perfectly matches the premium retro aesthetic.

A premium brown floor mat with elegant rose patterns and gold Olive Young lettering at the store exit.

The Beauty Tech Is Wild Too

Move past the heritage zone, and I hit the "Make Up Bar" — a literal beauty counter with a custom stained-glass sign straight out of an old-school soda fountain. Except instead of milkshakes, I was getting matched with high-end lip tints.

A premium makeup testing counter featuring an exquisite retro stained glass overhead sign reading Makeup Bar.

Right next to it, another stunning stained-glass sign reading "PIC YOUR COLOR" hangs over a fragrance counter, with little glass cases of mini perfume bottles tucked below classic navy curtains.

A beautifully framed perfume counter with an overhead stained glass sign reading Pic Your Color.

And check this out—they have little clear lip color chips that I could physically pick up and hold against my lips in front of the mirror to find my perfect shade without ruining my hands with swatches!

A close-up selfie in a vanity mirror showing a customer holding a clear pink lip-shaped color chip against their lips.

There's also a whole wall of beauty tech that feels like it belongs in a sci-fi movie — jawline massagers, LED face wands, you name it, each with its own interactive demo screen.

An interactive display wall lined with premium high-tech Korean skincare devices and digital tutorial screens.

But honestly, the free personal color diagnosis kiosk completely stole the show. I just touched the screen to start the scan.

A sleek silver personal color diagnosis kiosk displaying a white start screen that reads Olive Young in bold.

Then it scanned my face while a cute cartoon avatar spun around, telling me it's analyzing my skin tone.

A second later, it confirmed the analysis was complete.

The kiosk screen showing a completion checkmark and a button to proceed with the detailed skin tone report.

The kiosk screen displaying an Autumn Dark seasonal color analysis result with detailed skin measurement bar charts.

My first run came back as "Autumn Dark," complete with detailed bar charts comparing my skin brightness, saturation, and redness against the average.

I ran it again for fun and got "Winter Dark" the second time around (no comment!), complete with two illustrated avatars showing off recommended makeup looks and a QR code to a styling app

The kiosk screen displaying a Winter Dark result with two illustrated avatars showing recommended styling.

A hand holding two premium personal color result cards from Olive Young reading Winter Dark and Autumn Dark.

Either way, I walked away with these super cute, premium branded cards telling me my color season like a fortune cookie for my skin tone.

Don't Skip the Skincare Wall

Brightly lit wooden shelves packed with colorful boxes of Mediheal, Anua, and Abib sheet masks on sale.

A massive wooden display wall showcasing skincare products categorized by natural raw ingredients under individual glass cloches.

Real talk — the skincare walls alone could eat your whole afternoon. There's a sheet mask section stacked deep with fan favorites like Mediheal, Anua, and Abib, most of it heavily marked down for the seasonal sale.

Further down, there's a whole "원물 큐레이션" (Natural Ingredient Curation) section, where skincare is grouped by the actual traditional Korean star ingredient inside — like birch sap, mugwort, and carrot extract. Each ingredient has its own little display cloche and retro lantern prop.

And if you're into the diet-and-wellness side of K-beauty, Olive Young's actual best-selling diet jelly sticks get their own massive, fully stocked dedicated shelf.

Shelves stocked with bright pink and yellow boxes of Jeltiful and Foodology diet jelly sticks under a red promotional banner.

Souvenirs and Snacks, Because Why Not?

A dedicated merchandising wall filled with Korea-themed souvenirs including traditional postcards, magnets, and colorful canvas bags.

A close-up view of premium Korean souvenirs showing traditional dress keychains, colorful Seoul subway card holders, and decorative magnets.

Store shelves showing a creative pairing of Korean snacks like wafers and Buttering cookies bundled with matching tech accessories like power banks and chargers.

Since this branch targets travelers, they have a legitimate, curated souvenir corner. I could grab beautiful postcards and magnets of Korean historic scenery, alongside keychains, bookmarks, and canvas tote bags filling out the rest of the wall.

Get up close, and you'll spot gorgeous hanbok-pattern keychains with silk tassels, Seoul metro card holders in every subway line color, and intricate acrylic magnets. They are genuinely solid souvenir options if you want something that lasts longer than a sheet mask.

And then the snack aisle has the most hilarious "collab" energy ever. They bundle classic Korean wafer cookies with portable mini power banks, and sell famous Buttering cookies right next to a custom MagSafe wireless charger shaped like a butter cookie. Someone in merchandising was having a blast!

Plot Twist: The Market Itself Is Its Own Whole Theme Park

An orange-walled corridor with a modern illuminated sign reading Fashion Zone pointing toward Starbucks, Crocs, and Lifework.

A vibrant orange and white wall graphic welcoming visitors to Zzang Games with illustrations of dice, Pacman, and a crown.

Here's the thing nobody tells you — Gwangjang Market isn't just old-school food stalls anymore. Past the Olive Young exit, I hit a sleek, neon-lit "Fashion Zone" that houses Starbucks, Crocs, and the streetwear brand Lifework.

Right across the hall is a massive arcade called Zzang Games. There’s a giant, bright orange "Welcome" wall graphic featuring a crown and dice mascot greeting me on the way in.

A wide interior shot of a spacious, modern arcade lined with glowing neon pink and blue plushie claw machines.

A modern retail space featuring a bold black and white checkered floor and walls lined with capsule toy gachapon machines.

A minimalist entrance to a Starbucks coffee shop located down a rustic, curved red brick tunnel hallway.

A close-up view of a grey concrete wall with an evacuation map and a white paper sign with an arrow pointing toward the Exit.

Inside, it's rows and rows of glowing claw machines stuffed with adorable plushies. The aesthetic contrast between the historic market downstairs and this neon arcade upstairs is mind-blowing.

Step into the Lifework area, and the vibe shifted again with a classic black-and-white checkerboard floor and a massive wall filled entirely with gachapon capsule toy machines.

And honestly? There's even a hidden Starbucks tucked down a curved brick tunnel that looks like a secret underground bunker entrance.

Follow the tunnel back out, and there's a handwritten "출구" (Exit) sign and an evacuation map mounted on the concrete wall, just in case you get as lost as I did. The vibes shift from "vintage beauty parlor" to "neon arcade" to "secret coffee bunker" within like 200 feet.

Okay, So About That Kkwabaegi...

After shopping, I went straight back down for the food. I specifically sought out THE famous Gwangjang Market Market Glutinous Rice Kkwabaegi stall—the one covered in broadcast clippings from KBS, tvN's "Line-Up Restaurant 2" (줄서는 식당 2), and Channel A.

The famous yellow and red storefront of the Gwangjang Market twisted doughnut stall covered in TV broadcast clippings and celebrity photos.

A white standing menu sign for the famous twisted doughnut shop with text reading Twisted Doughnut waiting line in English and Korean.

No cap, this stall has absolute main character energy in the Seoul food scene.

The lines are completely real, but they move fast. There's a literal standing sign that says "줄 서는 곳입니다" (This is where you line up) with photos of all the doughnut varieties and their prices (usually between 1,000 to 1,500 KRW). It’s officially the cheapest, most iconic delicacy you can eat on the spot.

A bustling and lively traditional market food alley packed with vendors, overhead lights, and visitors walking through.

If doughnuts aren't your vibe, the rest of the main food alley does not disappoint. Think sizzling griddles, steam rising everywhere, legendary ahjummas working magic with giant pans, and the intoxicating smell of crispy bindaetteok frying nonstop.

If you prefer savory seafood, look out for Tomg Tong — a deep-fried squid stall that has quickly become its own modern Gwangjang Market icon.

How to Get In On This

If you're heading to Seoul, Gwangjang Market needs to be at the very top of your list — and not just for the food anymore. Here's your flawless game plan:

Get there: Take Seoul Subway Line 1 to Jongno 5(o)-ga Station, Exit 8. The market entrance is basically right there.
Find the Olive Young: Look for the entrance with the green and wood "올영양행" sign and head up the stairs — it's easy to miss if you're purely focused on the food smells downstairs!
Try the personal color kiosk: It's completely free, takes less than two minutes, and you leave with a gorgeous little souvenir card even if you don't buy anything.
Bring card AND cash: While the upscale Olive Young and the neon arcade obviously take credit cards, many of the older food stalls downstairs still prefer cash or local bank transfers.

Have you ever stumbled onto something completely random and high-tech while you were just trying to hunt down street snacks? Tell us your stories in the comments below!

#KoreanCulture #GwangjangMarket #OliveYoung #KBeauty #SeoulTravel #HiddenGemsSeoul #TraditionalMarket #KoreanSkincare #SeoulShopping #OleYoungYangHaeng