Geumsan, a small county in Chungcheongnam-do, is the center of Korea's ginseng trade — its market has sold and processed most of the country's ginseng for centuries, and it's the best place to see, buy, and eat the root in every form, including a proper ginseng-stuffed samgyetang. It's a niche but genuinely interesting food-and-market trip, far off the usual trail. Here's how to do it.
The ginseng market
Geumsan's Ginseng and Herbal Medicine Market (인삼약령시장) is the real draw: a sprawling complex of stalls, wholesalers and shops dealing in fresh (susam) and dried (white and red) ginseng, plus a huge range of herbal tonics and medicinal roots. Even if you don't buy, it's a sensory experience — the smell alone is worth the walk.
- Fresh ginseng (susam) is sold by weight, graded by age and size.
- Red ginseng (hongsam) products — extracts, candies, tonics, teas — make popular gifts and souvenirs.
- Prices are far better here than at city department stores, since you're at the source.
What to eat
The obvious move is samgyetang — a whole young chicken stuffed with rice, garlic, jujube and a whole ginseng root, simmered into a milky, restorative soup. It's eaten year-round but traditionally in the hottest days of summer (the Korean logic: fight heat with heat). Geumsan's version leans hard on the local ginseng, and the town is full of places doing it well.
Beyond the soup, look for:
- Ginseng dishes — ginseng tempura (insam-twigim), ginseng salad, ginseng makgeolli.
- Herbal tonic drinks sold throughout the market.
Buying ginseng to take home? Red ginseng extract and candies travel well and clear customs easily. Fresh ginseng is trickier to carry across borders, so check your destination's rules before you load up.
When to go
- The Geumsan Insam (Ginseng) Festival each autumn (usually around September–October) is the big event, with tastings, discounts and events — the liveliest time to visit, as of 2026 (confirm current dates).
- Otherwise the market runs year-round; weekdays are calmer.
Getting to Geumsan
- Bus is the way: intercity buses run from Seoul (Nambu/Central) and from Daejeon (very close by) to Geumsan, roughly 2.5–3 hours from Seoul as of 2026.
- It pairs naturally with Daejeon or a wider Chungcheong trip.
- The market is walkable once you're in town.
How to do it
- Bus to Geumsan (easiest via Daejeon).
- Walk the ginseng market — browse fresh and red ginseng, taste tonics.
- Eat samgyetang at a local spot.
- Buy red-ginseng products as travel-friendly souvenirs.
- Come during the autumn festival for the full experience if timing allows.
Getting your bus connections sorted (often via Daejeon) makes this niche trip easy to slot into a Chungcheong loop.
Find food & market experiences across Korea
Come for the market and a bowl of ginseng chicken soup at the source. Geumsan is a small, specific, genuinely different stop — and the best place in Korea to understand its most famous root.