Millak Hoe Town: Buying Raw Fish Downstairs and Eating It Upstairs at Gwangalli

Raw fish with a view of Gwangan Bridge is the meal most people picture when they think of Gwangalli. The most direct version of it sits at the Millak end of the beach, in a building called Millak Hoe Town. Live fish are sold on the ground floor, and restaurants on the floors above serve what you've bought. Is it worth the trip from Haeundae or Centum City? For a seafood dinner with a group, I think it is. For a quick lunch, or for anyone who doesn't enjoy haggling in a busy market, a sit-down restaurant on the beachfront is the easier choice. The details below come from Visit Busan and from Busan Transportation Corporation.

How the building works

Hoe is Korean-style sliced raw fish, and the Hoe Town is set up around it. Visit Busan describes the ground floor as a live fish market. You choose your fish there, from sellers who call out to passers-by and expect a bit of bargaining. Then you take it upstairs, where a row of restaurants turns it into a meal with the sea and the bridge outside the window.

There's a second way in. Visit Busan's English listing notes that course meals are served on the second and third floors. That means you can skip the market counter and order a set meal instead.

The building faces both Gwangalli's water and Gwangan Bridge — that view is the main reason to eat here rather than somewhere inland.

Pick your own fish, or order a course?

These are the two real options, and they suit different people.

Picking your own gives you the market itself. You see the tanks, you choose what goes on the plate, and you get the noise and back-and-forth that Visit Busan calls as lively as the fish. It also asks more of you. You need to know roughly what you want, and you need to be comfortable negotiating with someone who may not share your language.

A course upstairs takes those decisions away. You sit down, the meal arrives in stages and you don't deal with the ground floor at all. What you give up is the market scene, and some of the control over what you're eating.

I lean toward picking your own if you're a group of three or more that likes seafood. The market is what sets this building apart. For a couple, or anyone nervous about prices, the course is the calmer evening.

What the listing doesn't tell you

Visit Busan gives no prices at all. Both the fish and the meals are listed as differing from shop to shop. I can't give you a figure, and I'd be wary of any old blog post that does.

It also doesn't explain how the restaurant upstairs charges once you bring fish in. Ask before you sit down, so the bill holds no surprises.

The opening hours are listed as 09:00 to 02:00 every day, again varying by shop. The building is open all year. For questions on the day, the listed number is 051-757-3000.

The downsides to accept

• It's not close to the subway. Visit Busan puts it 18 minutes on foot from the nearest station exit.
• Prices are a blank. Without posted figures, you're relying on the sellers and on asking first.
• Haggling isn't for everyone. Some visitors may find the ground floor lively, and others may find it stressful.
• Fireworks night is a crush. The Busan Fireworks Festival brings the biggest crowds of the year to the park next door, according to Visit Busan.

Reaching Millak by subway

Take Line 2 toward Yangsan. From Haeundae Station, Gwangan is six stops. From Centum City it's three. Busan Transportation Corporation lists Exit 3 for Gwangalli Beach and Gwangan Elementary School, and Visit Busan gives the same exit for the Hoe Town.

From Exit 3, Visit Busan gives the walk as 18 minutes. That's long enough to feel on a hot evening.

Buses get closer. Visit Busan lists the 210 to the Jinro Beach Apartment stop. It also lists the 38, 41, 83, 83-1 and 108 to the Millak Golmok Market stop, from which it's a seven-minute walk. Sort your fare out first. Our T-money guide covers the card that works at the gates.

Taxi or train?

On an ordinary evening a taxi is the simpler choice from our side of the city. Outside our hotel, a cab usually turns up within five minutes. In peak season, and in the weeks BEXCO has a big event on, the roads clog up. At those times I point guests to the subway, even with the walk at the end.

If you do take a taxi, our Gwangalli after-dark guide explains why it pays to get out a block before the beachfront.

Driving is possible. The Hoe Town has its own paid car park, and there's a paid public car park at Millak Waterside Park.

The park next door

Millak Waterside Park sits right beside the Hoe Town, and the two go together. Visit Busan says the park opened in 1997, before Marine City and Gwangan Bridge were built. At night it has one of the closest views of both. A walking path runs from the park along the water to Gwangalli Beach, which makes a good way to walk off dinner.

One rule matters here. Drinking has been banned in the park since 1 July 2023. Older posts describing takeaway raw fish and soju in the park are out of date, and our Gwangalli after-dark guide has the details. If you want a drink with your fish, have it at a table upstairs. Pets aren't allowed in the park, and you're expected to take your rubbish with you.

Timing your evening

Go for dinner rather than lunch. The view of the bridge is the point — and it's best after dark.

Leave enough time for the walk back as well. The Hoe Town's hours run to 02:00, which happens to be when our front desk closes. Our desk is staffed from 08:00 to 02:00, and some guests always arrive outside those hours. Wherever you're staying, check how late entry works before planning a long night.

If you'd rather see the same water from a boat, the Haeundae River Cruise passes Millak Waterside Park on its loop. For a wider picture of moving between the two beaches, see our Centum City guide.

Is it worth the trip?

Yes, if you're a group that wants seafood and doesn't mind a bit of market chaos. Go in the evening, pick your fish downstairs, and finish with a walk along the park. If you're two people on a budget you can't pin down, or you just want a plate of hoe without the haggling, order a course upstairs or take a table on the beachfront. Either way, avoid fireworks night unless the fireworks are the reason you came.

Facts checked on 26 October 2026. Line 2 stations and Gwangan Station exits: Busan Transportation Corporation (humetro.busan.kr). Millak Hoe Town and Millak Waterside Park hours, routes, parking, rules and contact number: Visit Busan (visitbusan.net). Photo: Busan Tourism Archive (visitbusan.net), KOGL Type 1