Use the route below for planning, then open the linked sources for details that can change.
Use Exit 8 for the direct market approach
For the usual Line 1 approach, follow signs inside Jongno 5-ga Station for Exit 8. Visit Seoul places Gwangjang Market about 62 metres from that exit at 88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu. Save both the address and the Korean name 광장시장 before going above ground; the address is more useful than a restaurant pin when mobile search results shift. At street level, stay on the public pavement toward the market frontage and follow the market signs rather than cutting through a delivery entrance. Exit 8 is a route anchor, not an accessibility promise. If stairs, a lift outage, or temporary works make it unsuitable, use the station's current accessibility map or ask staff for the supported surface route.
Pick the first market gate from the signs in front of you
Gwangjang is a network of working aisles, not a single front door. Korea Tourism Organization describes the food street as linking the East Gate, North Gate 2, and South Gate 1. From Exit 8, use the first lawful public approach indicated by the market signs and choose one of those named gates as the group's meeting point. Do not spend time circling the block simply to reproduce somebody else's entrance photo. A traveler interested mainly in food can enter the connected food street; someone heading for textiles or a calmer first look can move into the adjoining public aisles. Delivery passages and vendor work areas are not shortcuts, even when a map draws a line through them.
Make one pass through the food street
Enter with one meal or tasting goal and walk the food street once before choosing where to stop. This gives the group a real view of queues, seating, menus, and noise without following a stale stall ranking. Ask the vendor about ingredients, portions, and payment before ordering; the individual business controls those details. If the central lane is uncomfortable, leave it for the textile and general-market aisles instead of pushing farther into the crowd. Keep the named gate as the reunion point and step out of the traffic flow before checking a phone. The dedicated Gwangjang food guide covers dietary questions in more depth, so this station page can stay focused on movement through the market.
Choose Exit 8 again or continue to Euljiro 4-ga
There are two simple finishes. For Line 1, retrace the short exterior approach to Jongno 5-ga Exit 8. For Lines 2 or 5, leave the market toward Cheonggyecheon and use the signed public route to Euljiro 4-ga Station; Seoul's visitor guidance lists Exit 4 as the market-side alternative. The second choice avoids walking back through the same food lane and works well when the next stop is east or south of the market. Decide before sitting down, because bags and a full market aisle make mid-visit replanning harder. Use live pedestrian directions for the final blocks and follow any temporary street or station closure signs.
Use a gate, not a stall, as the meeting point
A particular stall is a poor reunion point: shutters, queues, and seating can hide it. Use whichever landmark the group actually passed, such as East Gate, North Gate 2, South Gate 1, or the Exit 8 street corner, and put a map pin there. Keep bags close and pause beside, not in, the pedestrian flow. Ask before photographing a vendor or identifiable customer, and move away from the counter before filming food. If companions want different things, split only after everyone has the Korean market name, the chosen gate, and the return station. A quick food pass plus one optional aisle is easier to manage than an open-ended search through every section.
Save this four-point route before leaving
The usable note is short: Jongno 5-ga Exit 8; 광장시장, 88 Changgyeonggung-ro; one named market gate; and either Exit 8 again or Euljiro 4-ga Exit 4 for the onward trip. Check Seoul Metro for accessible station facilities and the two official market pages for any notice that affects the visit. Shops and food stalls set their own schedules, menus, and payment rules, so confirm those at the business rather than copying an old list. If a public gate is closed or the food street is too crowded, use another signed public aisle and keep the same outside reunion point.