Korean 'yajang' culture explained: Guide to outdoor dining in Seoul

Korean yajang culture is presented as an outdoor dining tradition in Seoul, especially in Jongno and Euljiro, where people gather on plastic tables and stools for food, drinks and fresh air. Locals say its charm comes from a lively, informal atmosphere and the feeling of freedom it creates. Seoul plans to support 10 designated Moonlight Yajang districts and expand to 25 by 2028.

Yajang can mean anything from a few tables in front of a restaurant to a crowded barbecue alley or a courtyard inside a hanok.

Classic foods mentioned include pork belly grilled with kimchi, fried chicken, grilled fish and spicy stir-fried beef intestines.

Popular outdoor dining areas can have long waits, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings when the weather is good.

Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to support 10 designated Moonlight Yajang districts and expand the number to 25 by 2028.

Published Sep 26, 2026 7:00 am KST

Why Koreans line up for cheap eats and cold drinks at plastic tables and how first-timers can join them

Visitors enjoy 'yajang," or casual outdoor dining and drinking, in Seoul’s Jongno 3-ga neighborhood on Monday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

“Not going to 'yajang' in this weather should be a crime,” Koreans jokingly say whenever a crisp, breezy evening arrives — a seasonal call to trade indoor dining rooms for plastic chairs, sizzling grills and conversations held in lively streets.

By 7 p.m. on Monday in Seoul’s Jongno 3-ga area, the saying seemed to have become reality. Red and blue plastic tables were set up in narrow alleys, providing a place for college students, office workers still in shirts and slacks, couples and older diners to sit shoulder to shoulder as they grilled thick slices of pork belly, clinking together their glasses of beer, soju and makgeolli in the early autumn air.

Nearby, indoor restaurants and bars offered warm lighting, carefully selected furniture and sleek interiors. But it was the more humble tables outside, in front of old storefronts and streets that looked like they had been unchanged for decades, that drew the longest lines.

This is “yajang,” shorthand for an outdoor business space. In everyday Korean, it broadly refers to casual outdoor dining and drinking, which can encompass anything from a few tables set in front of a restaurant to a crowded barbecue alley or even a courtyard inside a traditional Korean house, or "hanok."

Visitors enjoy yajang, a kind of casual outdoor dining, in Seoul’s Jongno 3-ga neighborhood on Monday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

For many locals, it brings up images of inexpensive food and drinks consumed while sitting on plastic stools in the side streets of the old downtown areas of Euljiro and Jongno.

“The real charm of yajang is being able to eat and drink freely in a lively atmosphere while getting some fresh air,” Lee Soo-yeon, a 33-year-old Seoul-based baker who visits outdoor dining spots at least once a month and sometimes as often as twice a week.

“Whether I am eating, reading, playing a game or simply lying down, ordinary activities feel a little freer and happier when I do them outside,” she said. “I also enjoy watching other people having a good time … and even a small amount of cold alcohol helps create the mood.”

Food is essential. In Jongno and Euljiro, pork belly grilled with kimchi is among the classic choices, along with fried chicken, grilled fish and spicy stir-fried beef intestines.

Cho Hyun-soo, 34, a Seoul office worker, said only essential preparation may be more practical than culinary.

“All you need to do before going for yajang is check the weather forecast in advance,” Cho said. “As long as it does not rain, any menu is fun to eat at yajang.”

Cho favors seasonal outings with friends, especially in spring, summer and early fall. The appeal lies in a vivid sense of the season, allowing diners to choose their preferred setting and views, whether that be of spring blossoms, summer’s lingering daylight or autumn’s crisp air “as part of the meal,” she said.

For An Yeon-woo, 21, the casual setup creates a warm, slightly rough-edged atmosphere that polished restaurants cannot easily reproduce.

“Sharing a light drink with the person you came with and talking about small, everyday things is a big part of the charm,” she said.

Yanjang Map app / captured from the app

For first-timers, locals advise flexibility. Popular areas can have long waits, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings with good weather. An said time goes quickly in Jongno or Euljiro, where old buildings, winding alleys and small shops make for an entertaining stroll while waiting for a seat.

“Take photos and look around the old alleys,” she said. “In places like Euljiro or Jongno, the time spent walking around can become part of the experience.”

Visitors should also keep expectations realistic. Outdoor seating can be noisy, cramped and weather-dependent, and fail to offer the kind of spotless comfort of a formal restaurant. But that informality is part of the point, locals say.

Those unsure where to begin can use Yajang Map, an online service that lists nearby outdoor dining and street-food spots. The service, which launched this past spring, expands through user submissions and allows searches for different kinds of setting and style.

Yajang is also drawing official attention. Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to support 10 designated “Moonlight Yajang” districts as part of a broader strategy, combining regulated outdoor operations with measures to improve pedestrian safety and sanitation while reducing noise. The city plans to expand to 25 areas by 2028, linking local food streets with tourism and cultural programming.

Convenience stores are also part of the culture, often placing small outdoor seating areas outside their shops where people can enjoy some instant noodles and beer.

Still, locals say the best way to enjoy yajang is to avoid overplanning it. Walk through Jongno or Euljiro on a pleasant evening, look for an open table and sit down.

“You can experience a more everyday side of Korea,” An said. “It is different from visiting famous tourist attractions. You can see how people here enjoy ordinary evening — with good food, drinks and people around them.”

首尔的“月光夜总会”文化以户外用餐传统而闻名，尤其是在钟路和乙支路一带，人们聚集在塑料桌椅旁，享用美食、饮品，呼吸新鲜空气。当地人认为，它的魅力在于热闹、轻松的氛围和由此带来的自由感。首尔计划设立10个“月光夜总会”街区，并计划到2028年将其扩展至25个。

Yajang 可以指餐厅门前的几张桌子，也可以指拥挤的烧烤街，甚至是韩屋里的庭院。

提到的经典美食包括泡菜烤五花肉、炸鸡、烤鱼和辣炒牛大肠。

热门的户外用餐区可能需要长时间排队等候，尤其是在天气好的周五和周六晚上。

首尔市政府计划扶持 10 个指定的月光雅庄区，并计划到 2028 年将数量扩大到 25 个。

发布于2026年9月26日上午7:00（韩国标准时间）

为什么韩国人会在塑料桌旁排队购买廉价食品和冷饮，以及初次体验者如何加入他们

周一，游客们在首尔钟路三街享受着“野酱”（yajang），一种轻松的户外餐饮活动。韩国时报 李海琳摄

每当凉爽微风的夜晚来临，韩国人便会开玩笑说：“在这种天气不去烤肉简直就是犯罪。” 这也是人们离开室内餐厅，到热闹的街头，坐在塑料椅上，围坐在滋滋作响的烤架旁，与朋友聊天的好时节。

周一晚上7点，首尔钟路三街一带，这句谚语似乎变成了现实。狭窄的巷子里摆放着红蓝相间的塑料桌椅，大学生、穿着衬衫西裤的上班族、情侣和老年食客肩并肩地坐在一起，烤着厚厚的五花肉片，在初秋的空气中，啤酒、烧酒和米酒的酒杯碰撞作响。

附近，室内餐厅和酒吧灯光温暖，家具精心挑选，装潢时尚。但最引人注目的，却是那些位于户外、门面古老、街道仿佛几十年未曾改变的简朴桌椅，它们总是排起长队。

这是“yajang”，是户外商业空间的简称。在日常韩语中，它广泛指休闲的户外餐饮场所，可以涵盖从餐厅前摆放的几张桌子到拥挤的烧烤街，甚至是传统韩屋（hanok）内的庭院。

周一，游客们在首尔钟路三街享受着露天烤肉（yajang），这是一种轻松随意的户外用餐方式。（韩国时报 李海琳 摄）

对于许多当地人来说，这让人联想到在乙支路和钟路老城区的小巷里，坐在塑料凳子上享用廉价食物和饮料的场景。

“露天烧烤的真正魅力在于能够在热闹的氛围中自由地吃喝，同时还能呼吸新鲜空气，”33岁的首尔面包师李秀妍说道，她每月至少会去一次露天餐厅，有时甚至一周去两次。

“无论是吃饭、看书、玩游戏还是只是躺着，在户外做这些日常活动都会让我感觉更自由、更快乐，”她说。“我也喜欢看别人玩得开心……哪怕只喝一小杯冰镇酒也能营造出这种氛围。”

食物至关重要。在钟路和乙支路，烤猪五花肉配泡菜是经典之选，此外还有炸鸡、烤鱼和辣炒牛大肠。

34岁的首尔上班族赵贤洙表示，只有必要的准备工作可能比烹饪更实用。

“去参加烤鱼派对之前，你只需要提前查看一下天气预报，”赵说。“只要不下雨，在烤鱼派对上吃什么都好吃。”

Cho喜欢和朋友们在特定季节外出用餐，尤其是在春季、夏季和初秋。她说，这种用餐方式的魅力在于能够鲜明地感受到季节的特色，让食客们可以选择自己喜欢的用餐环境和景色，无论是春暖花开、夏日余晖还是秋日清爽的空气，“都将这些融入到用餐体验中”。

对于 21 岁的安妍宇来说，这种随意的环境营造出一种温暖而略带粗犷的氛围，这是精致餐厅难以复制的。

她说：“和同伴一起喝点清淡的饮料，聊聊日常琐事，这是旅行魅力的一大体现。”

Yanjang 地图应用程序 / 从应用程序中截取

对于初次到访的游客，当地人建议保持灵活。热门区域可能需要长时间排队，尤其是在天气晴好的周五和周六晚上。而在钟路或乙支路，等待的时间会过得很快，因为那里古老的建筑、蜿蜒的小巷和小商店，即使只是漫步其中，也能让人心情愉悦。

“拍些照片，四处逛逛老巷，”她说。“在乙支路或钟路这样的地方，漫步其中本身就是一种体验。”

游客也应该保持合理的预期。户外座位可能比较嘈杂、拥挤，而且受天气影响较大，无法提供正式餐厅那种一尘不染的舒适感。但当地人说，这种随意性正是它的魅力所在。

如果不知道从何入手，可以使用雅江地图（Yajang Map），这是一个列出附近户外用餐和街头小吃的在线服务。该服务于今年春季推出，通过用户提交信息不断扩充，并允许用户搜索不同类型的环境和风格。

夜总会也引起了官方的关注。首尔市政府计划扶持10个指定的“月光夜总会”区域，作为一项更广泛战略的一部分，该战略将规范户外经营活动与改善行人安全和卫生、降低噪音的措施相结合。首尔市政府计划到2028年将区域扩大到25个，把当地的美食街与旅游和文化活动联系起来。

便利店也是当地文化的一部分，通常会在店外设置小型户外座位区，人们可以在那里享用方便面和啤酒。

不过，当地人说，享用烤肉的最佳方式是不要过度计划。在一个宜人的夜晚，漫步在钟路或乙支路，找个空位坐下来享用即可。

安女士说：“你可以体验到韩国更贴近日常生活的一面。这与参观著名旅游景点截然不同。你可以看到这里的人们如何享受普通的夜晚——美食、美酒，以及与朋友们相伴。”