Gwangyang City Conducts Traditional Market Livelihood Visit Ahead of Lunar New Year

Visited Gwangyang 5-Day Market and Jungma Market to Encourage Merchants and Listen to Their Difficulties

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] Jeong Hyun-bok, Mayor of Gwangyang, and Kim Myung-won, Deputy Mayor, announced on the 21st that they took a communication-focused approach to attend to the livelihood sites by visiting Gwangyang 5-Day Market, Okgok 5-Day Market, Jungma Market, and Gwangyeong Market ahead of the Lunar New Year to encourage merchants and listen to their difficulties.

Mayor Jeong visited Jungma Market on the 20th and Gwangyang 5-Day Market on the 21st, while Deputy Mayor Kim visited Okgok 5-Day Market on the 14th and Gwangyang Seol Market on the 15th, engaging in conversations to encourage traditional market merchants facing hardships.

About 200 executives from Gwangyang Steelworks, Gwangyang Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gwangyang Steelworks Partners Association, Gwangyang Industrial Complex Council, Singeum Industrial Complex Council, business organizations, and Gwangyang City Hall participated in this visit.

Jeong Hyun-bok, Mayor of Gwangyang, said, “Despite the prolonged difficult economy, I could feel the generous spirit and warm affection in the lively expressions of the merchants,” adding, “I hope today's livelihood exploration becomes a great encouragement to the merchants and serves as an opportunity for the traditional markets to revive vibrantly.”

Meanwhile, Gwangyang City is promoting various policies to secure the competitiveness of traditional markets, such as modernization projects for traditional market facilities and enhancing merchants' management mindsets to overcome the downturn in traditional market economies.

Additionally, the city plans to invest 9.9 billion KRW in Gwangyang Seol Market and 4.9 billion KRW in Gwangyang Daily Market, focusing on expansion and reconstruction, parking lot creation, and market environment improvement to restore the functions of traditional markets.