Seoul’s historic Noryangjin fish market is destined for shiny new venue but outraged vendors insist they prefer their old home
The management argues that the current site is outdated, inefficient and structurally dangerous, while the vendors say the stalls they are being offered in the new building are too small and overpriced.
Seoul’s oldest and largest fish market – a city landmark and tourist hot-spot – is fighting a move to a futuristic, half-billion-dollar facility, with vendors insisting they prefer the sprawling, run-down site they have called home for 45 years.
The dispute mirrors others in the vibrant South Korean capital, where design upgrades of some traditional locations and neighbourhoods are being fiercely resisted.
Nestled between densely packed high-rises in the southern part of the city, Noryangjin Wholesale Fisheries Market is a 24-hour sensory overload that sells pretty much every seafood imaginable – much of it still alive.
The Suhyup corporation which manages the market wants it moved into a shiny, steel and glass, state-of-the-art facility that it built next door – in the shape of a dolphin – at significant expense.
The management argues that the current site is outdated, inefficient and structurally dangerous, while the vendors say the stalls they are being offered in the new building are too small and overpriced.