Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant, corkage-free spicy octopus set: Wongiok

I had an evening get-together near Gwanghwamun and wanted somewhere I could eat a hearty Korean meal, so I went to Wongiok Gwanghwamun (원기옥 광화문점).

If you're searching for a corkage-free restaurant near Gwanghwamun Station, this one stands out. Since we wanted to slowly try several dishes rather than just one, we went with the pujim (hearty) set.

True to the set's name, the table felt more and more filling as each dish arrived.

Where is Wongiok Gwanghwamun, and when is corkage free?

Wongiok Gwanghwamun is in the basement 1F of D-Palace, 10 Saemunan-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It's open Monday to Saturday 11:30–22:00, with a break time from 15:00–17:00 and last order at 20:45.

It was an easy walk from Gwanghwamun Station.

It's closed on Sundays.

Inside, the atmosphere was calm and tidy overall.

There are private rooms too, which looked good for group meals or for conversations you'd rather keep a bit quieter.

Especially in the evening, corkage-free applies, so it's a good spot to bring your favorite drink and enjoy it alongside the meal.

What comes with the 110,000 won Pujim set at Wongiok Gwanghwamun

We ordered the ₩110,000 pujim set.

Rather than one main dish arriving right away, it's a sequence starting with basic side dishes like cold jeyuk (boiled pork), pollack sashimi salad, and japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), then moving through Korean beef sliced dish with mustard salad, stuffed fried peppers, spicy octopus stir-fry, tripe hot pot, and nutrient rice.

From the moment the first spread was laid out, there was already plenty to pick at, which I loved.

The pollack sashimi salad woke up the appetite, and the cold jeyuk and japchae were nice, light bites before the main dishes arrived. If you like Korean food, this is a set where you can enjoy the fun of the table gradually filling up.

Sliced Korean beef and stuffed fried peppers

The Korean beef sliced dish with mustard salad had thinly sliced meat mixed with vegetables and shrimp, giving it varied texture. Having the sides alongside made it easier to eat as a first course rather than just meat on its own, and the stuffed fried peppers that followed were packed full inside, so even one was quite filling.

Crispy on the outside with meat filling inside, my hand kept reaching for more. Alternating with the spicier dishes that came after made for a good combination. I liked that even though it's called a 'set,' none of the individual dishes felt like an afterthought — each one had presence.

Spicy stir-fried octopus and tripe hot pot: the mains to drink with

For the mains of the pujim set, we had spicy octopus stir-fry and tripe hot pot. The octopus came in big chunks that we cut into bite-size pieces, and the smoky char paired well with the spicy sauce. After eating relatively mild dishes up to that point, the octopus stir-fry completely shifted the mood of the meal, and I liked that.

The tripe hot pot was simmered thoroughly before we ate it. With tripe and beef tripe lining pieces packed in, there was always something to scoop up with the ladle, and the broth seemed to deepen in flavor the longer it simmered.

Eating the spicy octopus stir-fry alongside the piping-hot hot pot, I thought this would suit an evening get-together with drinks really well.

Finishing with nutritious pot rice

Having nutrient rice arrive as the final dish really lived up to the name 'pujim (hearty) set.' The moist pot rice went well eaten with the tripe hot pot broth, or wrapped in the seaweed that came alongside with rice and seasoning sauce.

After all those dishes, finishing with warm rice at the end made the meal feel properly complete. Since the dishes came out in sequence rather than all at once, it was also nice for slowly eating and chatting.

If you have a gathering or evening get-together near Gwanghwamun and want to enjoy a variety of Korean dishes, this is a place worth remembering.

With just one pujim set, we went from basic sides to meat, fried food, spicy octopus stir-fry, tripe hot pot, and nutrient rice, so there was no need to agonize over the menu separately. If you're looking for a corkage-free restaurant near Gwanghwamun Station, it's worth bringing your favorite drink and enjoying a leisurely Korean meal at Wongiok Gwanghwamun.