Korean Soups and Stews: Complete Guide with Spice Levels and Prices

Korean Soups and Stews: Daily Essentials

In Korean cuisine, a meal without soup is considered incomplete. Koreans eat soup or stew (guk or jjigae) with nearly every meal, from breakfast to dinner. This guide covers the most popular varieties. For more, see our Korean food guide you’ll encounter, with prices, ingredients, and where to find the best bowls.

Korean Soups and Stews: Guk vs Jjigae vs Tang

Korean Soups and Stews: Essential Guk

Miyeokguk (Seaweed Soup) – 미역국

Price: ₩7,000-9,000

This mild, nutritious soup is traditionally eaten on birthdays and by new mothers. Made with dried seaweed (miyeok) in beef or anchovy broth, it’s rich in iodine and minerals.

Taste profile: Subtle ocean flavor, slightly slippery seaweed texture, clean beef broth

When to order: Available year-round at most Korean restaurants. If it’s your birthday, mention it—some restaurants offer it free!

Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup) – 삼계탕

Price: ₩15,000-20,000

A whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, ginseng, jujubes, and garlic, simmered until tender. Koreans eat this on the three hottest days of summer (called “boknal”) to fight heat with heat.

2024-2025 Boknal dates:

• Chobok (초복): Mid-July
• Jungbok (중복): Late July
• Malbok (말복): Mid-August

Best restaurants in Seoul:

• Tosokchon (토속촌) – Gyeongbokgung area, ₩17,000, expect 30-60 min wait
• Baeknyeonok (백년옥) – Multiple locations, ₩16,000

Galbitang (Short Rib Soup) – 갈비탕

Price: ₩13,000-18,000

Clear beef broth with tender short ribs, glass noodles, and sliced radish. The meat falls off the bone after hours of simmering.

Taste profile: Rich but clean beef flavor, not greasy despite the fatty ribs

Seolleongtang (Ox Bone Soup) – 설렁탕

Price: ₩10,000-14,000

Milky-white soup made by boiling ox bones for 12-24 hours. Served with rice and thin slices of beef. You season it yourself with salt, green onions, and black pepper at the table.

How to eat:

1. Add salt gradually (start with half a teaspoon)
2. Add chopped green onions and black pepper
3. Put rice directly into the soup or eat separately
4. Add kimchi or kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) for contrast

Famous chain: Shinseondang (신선당) – locations throughout Seoul, ₩11,000

Yukgaejang (Spicy Beef Soup) – 육개장

Price: ₩10,000-13,000

Fiery red soup with shredded beef, fernbrake, bean sprouts, and green onions. One of the spiciest Korean soups—not for beginners.

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (4/5)

Tip: Ask for “deol maepge” (덜 맵게) if you want it less spicy, though many restaurants can’t adjust the pre-made broth.

Korean Soups and Stews: Popular Jjigae

Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew) – 김치찌개

Price: ₩7,000-9,000

The most common Korean stew, made with aged kimchi, pork (or tuna), tofu, and green onions. Every Korean household has their own recipe.

Best when: Made with kimchi that’s been fermenting for several months. New kimchi makes watery, less flavorful stew.

Variations:

• Chamchi kimchi jjigae (참치) – With canned tuna, lighter flavor
• Dwaeji kimchi jjigae (돼지) – With pork belly, richer taste
• Ggongchi kimchi jjigae (꽁치) – With saury fish, stronger aroma

Doenjang Jjigae (Soybean Paste Stew) – 된장찌개

Price: ₩7,000-9,000

Stew made with fermented soybean paste, tofu, zucchini, potatoes, and chili peppers. Has a pungent, earthy aroma that some foreigners find challenging at first.

Taste profile: Savory, slightly funky, deeply umami. An acquired taste that most visitors grow to love.

Note: Don’t confuse with miso soup—doenjang is much stronger and chunkier than Japanese miso.

Sundubu Jjigae (Soft Tofu Stew) – 순두부찌개

Price: ₩8,000-12,000

Spicy stew with silky uncurdled tofu, often with seafood, pork, or beef. A raw egg is cracked into the bubbling pot at your table.

Spice levels available:

• 안 맵게 (an maepge) – Not spicy
• 순한맛 (sunhan mat) – Mild
• 보통맛 (botong mat) – Medium
• 매운맛 (maeun mat) – Spicy
• 아주 매운맛 (aju maeun mat) – Very spicy

Best chain: BCD Tofu House (북창동순두부) – Multiple locations, ₩9,000-12,000

Budae Jjigae (Army Stew) – 부대찌개

Price: ₩10,000-15,000 per person (usually shared)

A fusion dish born after the Korean War, combining Korean ingredients with American processed foods: spam, hot dogs, baked beans, and instant ramen in a spicy broth.

History: Created near U.S. military bases in the 1950s using surplus American rations. Uijeongbu city, north of Seoul, claims to be the birthplace.

Best area: Uijeongbu Budae Jjigae Street – dozens of restaurants specializing in this dish, ₩12,000-15,000 per person

Gamjatang (Pork Bone Stew) – 감자탕

Price: ₩10,000-25,000 (small to large pot)

Spicy stew with pork spine bones, potatoes, and perilla leaves. Popular as a late-night meal, especially after drinking.

How to eat:

1. Start with the broth and vegetables
2. Gnaw the meat off the bones with your hands (yes, it’s expected)
3. Order fried rice (볶음밥, bokkeumbap) at the end—the restaurant will fry rice in the remaining broth (₩2,000-3,000 extra)

Operating hours: Many gamjatang restaurants are open 24 hours

Korean Soups and Stews: Regional Specialties

Dwaeji Gukbap (Busan Pork Soup Rice) – 돼지국밥

Price: ₩8,000-10,000

Busan’s signature dish: milky pork broth with sliced pork and rice. Simpler and milder than most Korean soups.

Where to try in Busan:

• Ssangdungi Dwaeji Gukbap (쌍둥이돼지국밥) – Original store near Seomyeon, ₩8,000
• Halmae Gukbap (할매국밥) – Near Jagalchi Market, ₩8,500

Condiments table: Add salted shrimp (새우젓), chili flakes, minced garlic, and chives to taste

Chueotang (Loach Soup) – 추어탕

Price: ₩10,000-13,000

Soup made from ground loach (a small freshwater fish). The fish is pureed, so you won’t see whole fish—just a thick, nutritious broth with vegetables.

Regional styles:

• Seoul style: Clear broth with whole loach pieces
• Namwon style: Thick, pureed broth (more common)

Best season: Autumn (September-November)

Haejang-guk (Hangover Soup) – 해장국

Price: ₩8,000-11,000

“Soup to chase away a hangover”—various hearty soups eaten after a night of drinking. Common types include:

• Ppyeo haejang-guk – Pork spine soup with congealed blood
• Seonji haejang-guk – With sliced ox blood
• Kongnamul haejang-guk – Bean sprout soup (mildest option)

Where to find: Look for 24-hour restaurants (24시) near entertainment districts

Korean Soups and Stews: Ordering Tips

Useful Korean Phrases

Soup Etiquette

• Slurping is fine: Unlike in Western countries, audible eating shows you’re enjoying the food
• Use a spoon: Soups are eaten with a spoon (숟가락), not chopsticks. Use chopsticks only for side dishes.
• Don’t blow on hot soup: Instead, stir it or wait. Blowing is considered somewhat rude.
• Shared stews: For jjigae served in a central pot, use your spoon to scoop into your rice bowl first—don’t eat directly from the communal pot

Korean Soups and Stews: Making at Home

Essential Ingredients to Buy

• Dashida (다시다) – Instant soup base (beef or anchovy), ₩3,000-5,000
• Doenjang (된장) – Fermented soybean paste, ₩5,000-10,000
• Gochugaru (고추가루) – Korean chili flakes, ₩8,000-15,000
• Dried anchovies (멸치) – For making stock, ₩10,000-15,000
• Dried kelp (다시마) – For umami, ₩5,000-8,000

Where to buy: Any supermarket (Emart, Homeplus, Lotte Mart) or traditional markets. Smaller packets available at convenience stores.

Basic Korean Soup Stock

1. Boil 6 cups water with 10 dried anchovies (heads and guts removed) and 1 piece of dried kelp (5x5cm)
2. Simmer 15 minutes, then remove anchovies and kelp
3. Use as base for any soup

Shortcut: Use 1 tablespoon of dashida powder in 6 cups water. Not as nuanced but works in a pinch.

Korean Soups and Stews: Restaurant Types

Korean Soups and Stews: Seasonal Guide

Korean soups and stews represent some of the most comforting and nutritious aspects of the cuisine. Start with milder options like seolleongtang or samgyetang, then work your way up to the spicier varieties as your palate adjusts. Most importantly, remember that in Korea, soup isn’t just a starter—it’s the heart of the meal.

Explore Korean soup traditions at Korean cuisine on Wikipedia.

Related Guides

• Korean Food Guide
• Korean Rice Guide
• Banchan Guide
• Korean Seasonal Food
• Korean BBQ Guide

• Korean Food Guide: What Makes It Unique
• Kimchi Guide: Types and Taste Levels
• Banchan Guide: Korean Side Dishes
• Korean Rice Guide
• Korean Seasonal Food Calendar