TL;DR: Coffee Hanyakbang, already well-documented in English for its Euljiro original location built inside a former Joseon-era herbal medicine shop, soft-opened a second branch in August 2026 — this time inside a converted inn (yeoinsuk) in Cheongnyangni’s Gyeongdong Market, itself one of Korea’s oldest traditional herbal medicine markets. The signature drink, Sujeonggwa-in-gabe (a cinnamon-punch espresso hybrid), is ₩7,000 (~$5.10). As of this visit, the space was still in soft-opening mode — the third floor wasn’t open yet, and hours weren’t finalized — so treat this as an early look rather than a complete guide.
There’s a cafe in Euljiro I make a point of visiting whenever I’m in the area: Coffee Hanyakbang. Sit inside and it’s genuinely disorienting in a good way — the building used to be a working herbal medicine shop, and they kept enough of that identity intact that you half expect someone to hand you a prescription instead of a latte. It’s not just the interior carrying the place, either; the coffee itself is good enough that I’ll go out of my way for it.
So when I heard Coffee Hanyakbang had soft-opened a second location in Gyeongdong Market in Cheongnyangni, I paid attention for a specific reason: that market happens to be my own neighborhood. A cafe that used to require a special trip to Euljiro is now a short walk from home, and that was reason enough to go check it out right away.
Coffee Hanyakbang, Gyeongdong Market Branch — Quick Facts
Address: 38 Wangsan-ro 35-gil, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul (inside Gyeongdong Market)
Status as of this visit: Soft opening — official hours not yet announced
Reservations: None needed; no waitlist system in use during the soft-opening period
Parking: Not available — use a nearby public lot (Gyeongdong Market’s Yangnyeongsi public parking lot is closest)
Note: this branch is brand new and still in soft opening as of writing. Hours, floor access, and even the official name may change once it fully launches — confirm current status via @coffee_hanyakbang on Instagram before making a special trip.
A Building With Its Own Story
The building itself is most of the draw here. It used to be a yeoinsuk — a modest, old-style Korean inn — inside Gyeongdong Market, and rather than tearing it down, Coffee Hanyakbang renovated the whole thing while keeping its bones intact: the red brick, the mint-green trim, the iron railing running around the rooftop, white curtains in every window. The shape of the old inn is all still there; only the mood has changed.
Walk in and you’ll immediately recognize the same design language as the Euljiro original — a bar counter built from repurposed medicine cabinets, pendant lights shaped like folded herbal medicine packets. It’s a direct visual continuation of the brand, just transplanted into a different building with a different backstory.
The first floor handles both ordering and seating. The second floor, reserved entirely for seated guests, is where the building’s inn-era character comes through even more strongly — each room has its own furniture, art, and mood, so working your way through the second floor feels like wandering a small maze of distinct little rooms rather than one uniform cafe space.
A room with a mother-of-pearl lacquer folding screen, another with an antique pump organ and a carp painting on the wall, a window seat framed by orange curtains — every room reads differently. A third floor is reportedly being prepared as additional seating, but it wasn’t open yet during this soft-opening visit.
What to Order
Given how much the Euljiro location’s coffee quality is already talked about, there wasn’t much deliberation involved here. The signature drink is Sujeonggwa-in-gabe, ₩7,000 (~$5.10) — its name is a direct mashup of sujeonggwa (a traditional Korean cinnamon-and-persimmon punch) and gabe (coffee). There’s also a small dessert case near the first-floor entrance stocked with pastries from Hyeminsang Patisserie, if you want something to go with your drink.
Tasting the Signature Drink
Sujeonggwa-in-gabe is exactly what the name promises: sujeonggwa and coffee in the same glass. A cinnamon-scented sujeonggwa base sits underneath a layered shot of espresso, with a whole cinnamon stick served standing up in the glass. I went in expecting something closer to “coffee with a hint of cinnamon syrup” — what I got was considerably more precise than that. Sujeonggwa’s characteristic sweetness and cinnamon punch land right where the coffee’s bitterness and acidity are, so each sip alternates between reading as an East Asian dessert drink and a straightforward espresso, almost note for note.
This is the detail that convinced me it’s not a signature drink in name only. If the two components hadn’t actually been balanced, you’d get a coffee that just smells vaguely like cinnamon and nothing more — instead, both flavors show up distinctly, which is a harder thing to pull off than it sounds and isn’t something you’ll find replicated at a typical Seoul cafe.
Why a Traditional Market, Specifically
Being in soft-opening mode came with some real limitations: the third floor wasn’t accessible yet, so I didn’t get the full building experience, and the lack of on-site parking is a genuine inconvenience if you’re driving. On the plus side, there was no wait at all during this visit — a rare thing for a buzzy new opening.
From a business standpoint, this location choice is worth noting on its own. Placing a design-forward cafe brand inside a traditional market is a real bet on revitalizing that market’s foot traffic — younger visitors who come for a coffee often end up wandering the rest of the market too, which is exactly the kind of spillover traditional markets need. Seoul’s city government has also been floating redevelopment plans for the Gyeongdong Market area, including a proposed hanok cultural hub — so this branch is arriving ahead of that wave rather than after it, which reads as a fairly sharp real-estate call for the brand.
Should You Go?
Go now if: you already love the Euljiro original’s aesthetic, or you’re exploring Gyeongdong/Cheongnyangni Market and want a design-forward stop within the market itself. The lack of a wait right now is a real perk that likely won’t last once the location is fully open and better known.
Wait for the full opening if: parking matters to you, or you want to see the complete three-floor space rather than two-thirds of it.
FAQ
Q: Is this the same brand as the famous Coffee Hanyakbang in Euljiro?
A: Yes — same brand, same design approach (repurposed medicine-shop and now inn architecture), same signature drink concept. This is a second location, not a different business using a similar name.
Q: Is the Gyeongdong Market branch fully open?
A: As of this visit it was in soft opening — the first and second floors were operating, but the third floor was not yet accessible and official hours hadn’t been announced. Check the brand’s Instagram for current status before visiting.
Q: How do I get there?
A: It’s inside Gyeongdong Market in Cheongnyangni, Dongdaemun-gu — walkable from Cheongnyangni Station. There’s no on-site parking; the nearest option is the Gyeongdong Market Yangnyeongsi public parking lot.
Q: What should I order if I only try one thing?
A: The Sujeonggwa-in-gabe (₩7,000) — it’s the drink the whole concept is built around, and it’s genuinely well-balanced rather than a gimmick.
Bottom Line
If you already have Gyeongdong Market or Cheongnyangni on your Seoul itinerary — it’s one of the country’s oldest traditional herbal medicine markets and worth a visit on its own — this new Coffee Hanyakbang branch is a strong reason to build in a coffee break. It’s not the complete experience yet, but the core of what makes the brand worth visiting (the architecture, the signature drink) is already in place, and there’s no line yet to deal with. If parking or the full building matters more to you, it’s worth waiting for the official opening.