Chuseok and the Rise of Traditional Markets

Traditional markets have been the center of commerce and daily life to towns and cities in Korea since a long time ago. They are home to agricultural products and all sorts of tasty dishes, as well as the essence and joy of the Korean people.

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[SOV]
[Interview : ] "This is complimentary".

[Interview : ] "Thank you. Traditional markets give plenty of freebies and have great service".

Complimentary goods given by vendors are a sign of Korean hospitality.

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "There are many things to see and eat at traditional markets".

[Interview : ] "Traditional markets are close to my home, cheap and convenient".

[Interview : ] "Traditional markets are great because you get a lot of freebies".

Traditional markets boast a long history. The first regular market opened during the Joseon Dynasty.

However, these days, traditional markets are facing a crisis due to the growing popularity of major supermarket chains.

With more people going to supermarket chains, the number of traditional markets dropped from 1,700 in 2004 to 1,500 in 2008.

Sales have also dropped significantly.

[Interview : Lee Ok-sun, Vendor] "There should be more people right now. Business is slow, and it's growing worse by the day".

[Interview : Kim Hyo-ju, Vendor] "There should be plenty of people in the markets, but there's no one".

In order to keep traditional markets alive, a variety of activities, such as the mask dance and sameulnori, are being held.

And today, a special event is being held in this market.

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "Today is the day designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Woorim Market as the "Going to Traditional Markets Day". It is a wonderful day".

With Chuseok, one of Korea's biggest holidays, just around the corner, the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Tourism has come up with a meaningful event. It has established a joint project with Woorim Market to help promote the market. To kick things off, the minister himself takes a tour around the market.

[Interview : Choung Byoung-gug, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism] "The squid is really fresh, and so is the hairtail".

Laughter fills every corner of the market.

[Interview : Yun Yang-su, Chief of the Regional & Nat'l. Culture Division
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism] "With Chuseok one week away, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism has visited Woorim Market to encourage shopkeepers and vendors. The Ministry has planned this event to promote the development of traditional markets".

[Interview : Lee In-suk, Vendor] "The event is a great idea, since it's for our market. We all feel more energized, and the pungmul performance is great, too".

Through this project, employees from the ministry promote traditional markets and promise their support for a variety of cultural activities.

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "To Woorim Market!"

[Interview : Choung Byoung-gug, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism] "The government has worked on improving facilities, like parking lots, and while some of the improvements have given good results, the best results came from infusing cultural activities into the markets. A cultural market made it the most appealing, and there were more shoppers than before. After hearing such stories, the ministry started sponsoring events like this in order to promote cultural markets".

These events aim at transforming markets into centers of cultural activities. As part of the festivities, an artist was invited to draw caricatures of customers. With light strokes, one's facial features appear effortlessly on the paper.

[Interview : Shin Jin-ho, Shopper] "It's really unique. It's the first time I'm trying something like this in a market. I hope more events like this take place in the future".

[Interview : Choi Sun-rye, Shopper] "It's enjoyable and fun. Full of vitality. It's as if the market is actually alive".

The ministry has been running the Mass Consumer Appeal Project since 2008. It plans to actively promote the steadily decaying traditional markets.

[Interview : An Mi-jeong, Employee of the Regional & Nat'l. Culture Division
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism] "The Mass Customer Appeal Project is a pilot project by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism that is meant to promote traditional markets through cultural activities. Most programs from the project are cultural and artistic education sessions for both vendors and local residents, clubs for vendors and any other activity that encourage the participation of both vendors and shoppers. "

Upon completion of the project, employees from the ministry began shopping at the market. The warm hospitality and affordable prices are simply unique features of traditional markets.

It was an opportunity to put to rest the misconception that traditional markets are inconvenient and expensive.

[Interview : Hong Seon-ok, PR Officer
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism] "Prices are really cheap here. They seem like half the prices found in major supermarket chains. I think I will have to do my Chuseok shopping at traditional markets".

[Interview : Jin Seong-ho, Lawmaker] "Today is "Going to Traditional Markets Day", and employees from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism are doing their shopping here at Woorim Market.
Other government departments are expected to plan events similar to this one. Hence, I believe that with public servants setting the example, more people will follow suit and start shopping at traditional markets".

Korean traditional markets are filled with Korean flavors, hospitality and uniqueness.

A variety of efforts are continuing to preserve and expand these markets.

Thanks to these efforts, traditional markets will continue to exist for many more years to come.

[STUDIO]

Well like the President said at the traditional markets you can find products at the same quality but lower prices than elsewhere.
And a lot of tourists love going to the traditional markets.
They are so amazed at the atmosphere and what you can eat there.
It truly is a unique place to go.