Seoul Breakfast: Where to Eat Seolleongtang, Gomtang and Bugeoguk Early

Breakfast in Seoul is a question of what is open before it is a question of what is good. The seven houses here all serve one hot bowl of broth with rice — seolleongtang, gomtang, bugeoguk or ttaro-gukbap — and each of them is either open by eight in the morning or open around the clock.

Which one suits depends on the morning: jet lag at five, a flight to catch, or a palace or market to reach afterwards. Settle the neighbourhood and the day of the week first, then take one line from the list below.

Choosing by the kind of morning it is

Awake before dawn, or catching an early flight: the earliest door is Jangwon Bugeoguk on Yeouido, which opens at 6:30 on weekdays. At the weekend, or earlier than that, Jeonju Seolleongtang trades 24 hours — though it is out in Jamsil, so it really only suits someone staying nearby.
Before a palace or the hanok lanes: Imun Seolnongtang in Jongno opens at eight. Ikseon-dong hanok village is about 500m away and Changdeokgung about 800m. Palace admission times need checking separately.
A day around Myeongdong or Namdaemun: Hadongkwan opens at seven and closes on Sundays. The Myeongdong shopping street is about 70m from the door, Namdaemun Market about 900m.
When the day of the week should not matter: Mapo-ok opens at seven and is listed as never closing. It is also a 2026 MICHELIN Guide Bib Gourmand.
Setting out from Gangnam or Sinsa-dong: Gangnam Ttaro Gukbap in Jamwon-dong opens at seven.
Staying in Hannam: Hannam Bugeoguk opens at eight from Monday to Saturday and runs into the night, so it works as an evening meal as readily as a morning one.

Every distance above is a straight line between two points on the map. The walk is longer.

Four broths worth telling apart

All seven serve a hot broth with rice, but the name on the sign decides what arrives and how. None of the four is spicy.

Seolleongtang and seolnongtang: ox bones simmered until the broth turns opaque, with rice. It comes barely seasoned, so if it tastes bland nothing has gone wrong — salt and spring onion are on the table to season it. Imun Seolnongtang, Jeonju Seolleongtang and Mapo-ok, whose bowl adds brisket, all work in this line.
Gomtang: the same beef, but the broth stays clear. On Hadongkwan's menu it is split into a standard serving and the 25-gong and 30-gong sizes, so ask what separates them when ordering.
Bugeoguk: dried pollack boiled into a soup. Jangwon Bugeoguk serves it as one bowl loosened with tofu and egg; Hannam Bugeoguk brings it as a setting with side dishes. The yukgaejang on Jangwon's menu is a spicy soup, so it is worth distinguishing at the counter.
Ttaro-gukbap: a name about how the food is brought out rather than what went into the pot — the soup in one vessel, the rice in another. Gangnam Ttaro Gukbap adds seonji, congealed ox blood, which is worth knowing before ordering.

What to check first: days, holidays and afternoon breaks

Jangwon Bugeoguk: weekdays 06:30–15:00, closed at weekends. Also closed for Seollal and Chuseok.
Hadongkwan: 07:00–16:00, closed Sundays. For Seollal and Chuseok it closes on the holiday itself and the day after.
Mapo-ok: 07:00–21:00, listed as open every day. The same page labels those hours as weekday hours, so a weekend morning is worth confirming.
Gangnam Ttaro Gukbap: 07:00–21:00, with a weekday break from 15:30 to 17:00. Closed for Seollal and Chuseok.
Imun Seolnongtang: opens at 08:00, with a break from 15:00 to 16:30. Holiday trading is not published — check before going.
Hannam Bugeoguk: Mon–Sat 08:00–23:00, a break from 15:00 to 17:00, last orders at 22:00. Nothing is published for Sunday, so check first.
Jeonju Seolleongtang: 24 hours, every day of the year.

Opening hours change. Confirm each restaurant's current notice on the morning of the visit.

If it is a Sunday or a holiday morning

Jangwon Bugeoguk and Hadongkwan are both shut on Sundays. That leaves Mapo-ok and Jeonju Seolleongtang, neither of which lists a closing day, and Imun Seolnongtang, which opens at eight on Sundays too.

Around Seollal and Chuseok, Jangwon Bugeoguk, Hadongkwan and Gangnam Ttaro Gukbap all close. On a holiday morning it is worth confirming what is open before leaving.

Where to walk after breakfast

Frequently asked questions

Where can I eat earliest in the morning in Seoul?

Of the seven houses here, Jangwon Bugeoguk on Yeouido is the earliest, opening at 6:30 on weekdays. At the weekend, or earlier than that, Jeonju Seolleongtang in Jamsil trades around the clock.

Where should I go on a Sunday morning?

Jangwon Bugeoguk is shut at weekends and Hadongkwan closes on Sundays. Mapo-ok and Jeonju Seolleongtang are listed as having no closing day, and Imun Seolnongtang and Gangnam Ttaro Gukbap both publish separate Sunday hours. Hannam Bugeoguk publishes nothing for Sunday, so check before going.

Are they open over Seollal and Chuseok?

Jangwon Bugeoguk and Gangnam Ttaro Gukbap close for Seollal and Chuseok, and Hadongkwan closes on the holiday itself and the day after. Mapo-ok and Jeonju Seolleongtang are listed as never closing, but over a holiday it is worth checking the current notice before setting out.

Can I turn up late in the afternoon?

Three of them break in the afternoon and open again: Imun Seolnongtang 15:00–16:30, Hannam Bugeoguk 15:00–17:00, and Gangnam Ttaro Gukbap 15:30–17:00 on weekdays. Jangwon Bugeoguk finishes at 15:00 and Hadongkwan at 16:00, so late in the day Mapo-ok or Jeonju Seolleongtang is the safer bet.

What is seonji, and is it unavoidable?

Seonji is congealed ox blood, and it goes into the ttaro-gukbap at Gangnam Ttaro Gukbap. Anyone put off by it can order the boiled beef at the same house, or choose one of the six serving seolleongtang, gomtang or bugeoguk instead.