[TalkTalk Market] Moraenae market

Of all the places named Moraenae in the country, a stream in JeonjuCity’s Inhu-dong in North JeollaProvince points to JeonjuCity’s Moraenae.

As a tributary of JeonjuStream starting in Girinbong, it passes through Inhu-dong and Nosong-dong and meets the JeonjuStream in Jinbuk-dong.

 

 

 

Moraenae gets its name from the heavy build up of sediment and morae, or sand, of the meandering stream. Most of the stream has been paved over into roads, and the surrounding area is commonly called Moraenae.

 

 

 

This is exactly where the Jeonju Moraenae Market is located. The Jeonju Moraenae Market was established in 1974. At the time, a small group of traders met and started commercial activity, and the market began with people mostly selling produce from street stalls. Currently it is recognized as a medium-sized market with over 300 stores. Including the merchants who operate street stalls, it is home to about 500 people.

[Talk Talk Market] Nangman Market in Chuncheon

Nangman Market is the new name given to Chuncheon’s first traditional market. Originally called Jungang Market, the market was formed about 60 years ago in the heart of the city following the Korean War. Initially, the market sold manufactured goods from Seoul, American products from the nearby U.S. Army, and local agricultural produce. Gradually, it turned into a large-scale retail market. After experiencing ups and downs caused by the emergence of large-scale marts in the 1990s, Jungang Market’s name was changed into Nangman Market in 2010 to live up to its designation as a culture and tourism market.

Literally meaning ‘a river beckoning spring,’ Chuncheon is referenced in many Korean novels and pop songs as a place of romance and memories. The railway has carried countless travelers to the city for generations. The recent opening of the subway on a double track has shortened travel time to about an hour. The Nangman Market is a nice place to bring back old memories, where people can buy quality products at good prices and enjoy the unique hospitality of a traditional market.

The market is gradually turning into a lively space of culture and art, thanks to its advantageous location in the heart of the city and the enthusiasm of its vendors, cultural activists, and artists. Visitors can enjoy various paintings and formative arts, and have a unique experience in which the whole market turns into a venue for performances. Nearby attractions include Jungnim-dong Church, a modern landmark that’s been in its present location since 1928, Yaksari Pass, which used to be the only road connecting the downtown area with the marketplace, and the old alley where the famed Korean artist Park Soo-keun (1914-1965) spent his youth.

Major shopping items

Food (dakgalbi, toppokki, sundae soup, noodles, etc), clothes, hanbok, bedding)

Nearby attractions : Jungnimdong Catholic Church, Yaksari Pass, Festival Theater Momzit, Artist Park Soo Keun Street

Transportation

Sangbong Station (Subway Line 7, Jungang Line, Gyeongchun Line) -> Namchuncheon Station (Gyeongchun Line)

Take bus #8 or #9 from Namchuncheon Station (travel time: about 10 – 15 min) 

[Enjoy KOREA] Traditional markets epitomize Korean culture

Traditional markets epitomize Korean culture

Traditional markets in Korea have increasingly become an invaluable tool to bolster the tourism industry.

More tour programs for foreign travelers include a traditional market on their itinerary in an attempt to allow them a glimpse of unedited Korean culture and typical daily life.

The government and merchants have taken advantage of the change in getting rid of long-standings at many traditional markets that were once littered with trash and discredited for the sale of fresh produce kept in unsanitary conditions at unfixed prices.

Behind the achievement is the Agency for Traditional Market Administration (ATMA). It was established in 2005 under the support of Small and Medium Business Administration and is committed to reinvigorating traditional markets and transform them into a tourism magnet projecting the “spirit of traditional Korean culture,” according to a release.

Jung Suk-youn, director-general of ATMA, said his organization is responsible for establishing an environment where visiting traditional markets becomes a core part of inbound tourism.

“Markets are not a place where people just sell and buy products. It’s a place where the various faces of Korean society coexist,” Jung told The Korea Times at his office in downtown Seoul, Monday. “The core reason for travelling is to see and experience a different culture. I believe no other places are better than traditional market to see real face of the country.”

ATMA will host a variety of events at traditional markets in Seoul, Busan, and Sokcho for foreign residents and those in Korea on vacation ahead of the Chuseok holiday (the traditional harvest festival), which falls on Sept. 30.

Participants will take a market tour and with the help of Korean advisors buy ingredients for a cooking class to make traditional Korean food eaten during the Chuseok celebration. Other special activities will include learning how to perform “charye” (an ancestral ritual), a traditional “samulnori” Korean percussion performance, and shop with discount coupons offered by the agency.

“This is a proactive campaign to lure foreign travelers (to markets) and promote our culture,” Jung said. “We still have long way to go. But I’m certain that this small step will create more and more followers and they will eventually make a big stride in improving the value of markets as a tourism asset.”

On top of this, the agency runs a website (www.sijang.or.kr) that contains in-depth information about Korean traditional market. The website is available in English, Chinese and Japanese. In addition, it provides information on the specialties of each market and things to see and do around each one to fuel foreigners’ interest.

“The accessibility of traditional markets was indeed low despite their high value in the aspect of cultural tourism and keen interest of foreigners due to the language barrier,” Jung said. "The website will help foreign tourists take one step closer to traditional markets, and we will continuously upgrade its content that can promote the charm of traditional Korean markets.”

The agency has recently turned to social networking services to promote the nation’s traditional markets worldwide by starting a Facebook page. It also has a smartphone app, available for download via the website.

The Korea Tourism Organization recently joined forces with ATMA by publishing a traditional market guidebook for Chinese tourists in the latest in a series of efforts to revitalize visits to traditional markets in Seoul.

It focuses on the Gwangjang, Tongin and Gongdeok markets and suggests interesting experiences available there through a format based on SBS TV’s famous show “Running Man.” The book consists of different missions that can be completed by visiting food vendors or different stalls.

ATMA is also held responsible for improving the basic hygiene of markets and merchants. It has hosted a “college for merchants,” in which professionals educate vendors about customer services that have exclusively been available in department stores and discount malls.

“Merchants’ ignorance of customer services has led to a declining popularity of traditional markets,” Jung said. “Many merchants and mom-and-pop store owners are still trapped in the obsolete belief that people will buy products regardless of customer services. But that’s not the case anymore with supply to markets exceeding demand. It’s time for vendors to realize the situation facing them and become self-motivated to change.”

pss@koreatimes.co.kr,

article from -http://www.koreatimes.co.kr