Jeonju transforms historic market into all-night cultural playground
Summary
Jeonju’s Nambu Market is being turned into an all-night cultural venue from Saturday to Sunday through a campaign by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization. The event, called All-Day Trip, ties a nearby football match to late-night market visits, live music and an open-air cinema. Merchants are also promoting clearer price tags, card payments and better sanitation to improve trust for visitors. Officials say the effort is meant to keep historic markets vibrant into the night.
Key Facts
- The campaign is taking place at Jeonju Nambu Market in Jeonju, a historic city in southwestern Korea.
- It is scheduled from Saturday to Sunday and is organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism with the Korea Tourism Organization.
- The event is called All-Day Trip and begins around a football match between Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Pohang Steelers.
- A 100-meter road section near the market will be closed to vehicles to create a pedestrian-only zone.
- The Sky Garden will screen La La Land at 10 p.m. and Little Forest at midnight.
Residents shop for fresh vegetables at Dokkaebi Market near Jeonju Nambu Market, North Jeolla Province, Aug. 13, a day before "malbok," the last of Korea's three traditional hottest days of summer. Yonhap
In Jeonju, a historic city in southwestern Korea, one of the region’s oldest markets is making a radical bid for young night owls: swapping early curfews for open-air cinema, live music and football fandom that lasts until sunrise.
From Saturday to Sunday, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, alongside the Korea Tourism Organization, will launch a high-energy campaign at Jeonju Nambu Market. Dubbed the "All-Day Trip," the initiative pairs sports fandom with late-night urban exploration, reimagining the market's role in the city's modern tourism landscape.
The festivities begin on Saturday evening, capitalizing on a marquee football match between Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Pohang Steelers at the nearby stadium. Organizers are encouraging fans to flood the market before and after kickoff. Supporters arriving in team jerseys who post proof on social media will receive vouchers to spend at stalls, blending athletic spectacle with local culinary trade.
As night falls, a 100-meter stretch of road near the market will shut down to vehicular traffic, creating a pedestrian-only zone. Visitors can taste local delicacies at the night market or drop by "Moi-jang" — a newly opened cultural space housed in a renovated former wholesale horticultural market hall — to grab a drink and catch live acoustic sets running past midnight. The space's name comes from the Korean verb "moida," meaning "to gather" or "assemble," combined with "jang," meaning "market" or "gathering place."
For those willing to pull an all-nighter, the market’s rooftop Sky Garden will transform into an open-air cinema, screening "La La Land" at 10 p.m. followed by the Korean culinary film "Little Forest" at midnight. As dawn breaks on Sunday, moviegoers can descend back into the sprawling aisles as the morning market stirs to life, capping the night with Jeonju’s iconic bean sprout soup and blood sausage.
The event also anchors a broader drive to modernize consumer trust. Merchants are committing to clearly labeled price tags, card-friendly checkout and improved sanitation — addressing long-standing hurdles for international travelers.
"This project connects traditional markets with Jeonju’s wider cultural assets to offer younger crowds an experience that lasts until sunrise," said Kang Dong-jin, director general of Tourism Policy at the ministry.
By funding fresh programming and collaborating with regional governments, officials hope to ensure that historic markets like Jeonju Nambu remain vibrant centers of contemporary life long after the sun goes down.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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