19 April 2026
Fleas and trains
Seoul folk flea market and Korail railroad museum
Today I went to two places that are very far apart. The train museum is practically in Suwon, a city I once stayed at for 4 nights that is technically not part of Seoul, but still connected to Seoul by the fantastic metro system.
Before heading to another city on a train to see trains, I went to the Seoul folk flea market. I have no idea what folk has to do with it, both Peter Paul and Mary and Simon and Garfunkel were not there, and I am out of folk references.
The market is somewhat infamous, there is an official part of the market, but the real action happens around the outside of the official part, with what are apparently, illegal market stalls. Allegedly the council drives around in loudspeaker trucks telling everyone it is illegal, but the cops don't care. Unfortunately I did not see any loudspeaker trucks, but it is big enough news that CNN ran a story on it recently.
Next was the train museum, a good 80 minutes away on the subway / metro (above ground subway). For $4 you can see a whole bunch of trains similar to the one you just rode on. It was a bit sad that almost none of the old trains allow you to go inside. The museum part was ok, lots of info on actual rails, sleepers, signals as you might expect.
And then I got to see a bike railway.
To get to the Folk flea market, I went to Wangsimni station. There are many closer stations, but this one was on a line convenient to me. I have changed trains at this station perhaps 20 times, as the trains to the mountains in the east seem to go from here. Anyway, it is a very large station area, and the surrounding streets were all quite nice.
Very hot today, 27c, a lot of people doing drain appreciation early in the day. Note this must have been a freeway in the past, you can still see a couple of old pylons in the water.
I will now enter the market area, it goes for many, many streets, in the traffic at times. A lot of what I suspect are deceased estates of junk.
Plenty of things in the sun that should not be.
I bought nothing of course, if I lived here, I probably would still by nothing. I do not like things.
I do not know exactly what is going on here, there are air force flight suits, machine guns, traffic lights, the door off a humvee. Everything you need.
Here in the distance you can see the actual market. I read that it is a school that was shut down. I am not sure about that.
Lots more junk in the streets out the front.
Inside is a labyrinth of more of the same, but a lot less people.
It even has a food court! I was too early for lunch.
Behind the official bit of the market, is more unofficial market, with old clothes just piled up on the road. OK I would probably buy stuff from here.
Train ride was next, a long way south, I got off at Uiwang station. Behind me is a nice enough main street.
A rare treat. A photo of my lunch. A salad and a coffee bun. The horrible looking grey dressing I chose is pepper and black sesame, and I have to say, it was an awesome dressing.
About 15 minutes away on foot is the railway museum, just follow the train line, there area huge number of tracks in the area as I suspect it is the main maintenance yard for Korail.
It is less than $4 to get in. These 2 are probably the star attraction. They may have been the presidents trains, the insides were very opulent, but you cannot go inside.
There is the actual museum part, but the main attractions are the trains outside.
This is the only carriage you seem to be able to get inside of. It was hot inside. It is much like the inside of trains still in service.
The stairs go up to a locked door.
Nice steam train. It looks new.
I think I have actually ridden on one of these on a regional line in the south of the country.
Inside was very quiet, not much English. The huge model train all these museums have was behind tinted glass and not running, hence no photo of it.
You can press a button and make the signals flash and the gates come down. I did that 9 times.
Bonus activity, I exited the museum area and went through a tunnel under the real train tracks and came out at this park. Lotus ponds I believe, but lotus flower / lilly / water plant is not in season.
However, if you want, you can pay to ride a train bike around the park. These are the new hot thing in Korea, they are everywhere!
Finally, after a hot walk back to the station, I got to enjoy this blue tunnel over the tracks. I pretended I was under the sea.