Seoul City Opens 'Nongbu Market' Direct Sales Market for Excellent Agricultural Products... Up to 30% Cheaper

Opening of Urban Market for Direct Purchase of High-Quality Agricultural Products from Over 60 Cities and Counties and 100 Farms Nationwide
28 Market Events Held from September to November at 5 Locations Including Mapo-gu DMC, Mallidong Square, and Cheonggye Square

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City announced on the 12th that from the 13th to November 25th, it will hold the ‘2022 Second Half Farmer’s Market’ at five locations including Malli-dong Plaza, Mapo-gu DMC, and Cheonggye Plaza, with participation from over 100 farms across more than 60 cities and counties nationwide.

The Farmer’s Market is a direct transaction market where excellent agricultural products carefully selected and recommended by each local government can be purchased at prices up to 30% cheaper than market prices. The first market of the second half opens on the 13th and will operate at Mapo-gu DMC from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Under the slogan “Good Farmers, Good Consumption,” the 2022 Farmer’s Market has established itself as an urban direct transaction market where citizens can purchase agricultural products directly produced by farmers.

This market offers various services to facilitate consumer purchases. First, card payments and Zero Pay are available at all five Farmer’s Market locations. At the markets in Mapo-gu DMC and in front of Shin Young Securities in Yeouido, a ‘Good Keeper Service’ is operated to store purchased items. At the ‘New Varieties of Eco-friendly Agricultural Products’ booth by the Rural Development Administration at the Mapo-gu DMC market, reservation purchases and delivery services are provided.

Additionally, by offering special exhibitions such as sales events for various overproduced agricultural products and other attractions, the market encourages consumers to visit, supporting farms struggling to secure sales channels due to COVID-19, while also running a global poverty eradication campaign. At Ttukseom Hangang Park, in collaboration with Good Neighbors, a special exhibition selling overproduced and imperfect products is held, and all proceeds are donated to the ‘Global Poverty Eradication Fund’ through the GOOD BUY campaign. At Mapo-gu DMC, kimchi-making kits from Mapo-gu will be sold during the kimchi-making season in November.

Jung Sang-hoon, Director of the Seoul City Administration Bureau, said, “The Seoul Farmer’s Market is a market prepared to help farms facing difficulties due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and Typhoon Hinnamnor, and to allow citizens to purchase fresh agricultural products at affordable prices. We hope many citizens will participate.”