Shoppers visit Mangwon Market in Mapo District, Seoul, Sept. 12, 2024, to buy groceries and gifts ahead of the Chuseok holiday in this file photo. Yonhap
The scent of sizzling pancakes and the boisterous calls of vendors in crowded alleyways are being reframed as strategic assets in Korea’s latest tourism push.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, alongside the Korea Tourism Organization, designated 11 traditional markets on Thursday as part of the second phase of its “K-Tourism Market” project, an initiative designed to transform aging local hubs into polished international destinations.
The project targets a diverse geographical spread, including Mangwon Market and Gyeongdong Market in Seoul, Haeundae Market in Busan, Seomun Market in Daegu, Jeonju Nambu Market and Jeju Island’s Dongmun Traditional Market. While these sites have long been the lifeblood of local neighborhoods, the government now aims to elevate them into major cultural attractions while simultaneously overhauling the long-criticized customer service practices that have occasionally alienated visitors.
At a launch ceremony held Thursday at Mangwon Market in western Seoul, merchant associations from the selected sites signed a joint declaration pledging fundamental reforms. The agreement focuses on four critical pillars: transparent fixed pricing, the universal adoption of card payment systems, improved cleanliness and enhanced customer service etiquette.
The campaign arrives as the Korean tourism industry faces growing scrutiny over price gouging and unfriendly service at some high-profile markets — issues officials admit have tarnished the country's reputation among international travelers. To combat this, organizers appointed a “Smile Campaign” task force, intended to foster voluntary service improvements led by the vendors themselves rather than through top-down mandates.
To illustrate the markets' potential, officials demonstrated a new integrated tourism package. Participants shopped for local delicacies at Mangwon Market before boarding a bus to Mangwon Hangang Park. There, they held a picnic using reusable containers, a nod to a growing environmental initiative embedded within the cultural program.
“We will actively support traditional markets so they can become essential destinations where visitors experience K-culture and K-food firsthand,” said Kang Dong-jin, deputy director general for tourism policy at the culture ministry.
The goal, officials say, is to ensure that the charm of the traditional market survives into the modern era as a source of national competitiveness rather than a relic of the past.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
Source: Korea Times News
