[Seoul District News] Yangcheon-gu to Operate 'Kimjang Season Direct Market' with 23 Local Governments and 34 Companies at Yangcheon Park on 24-25 & Self-Packaging Booth with Delivery Box Support, Attracting Kimjang Season Specialty Local Products... Gwangjin-gu 'Sharing Market' Experience
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Gi-jae) announced that it will operate the "Kimjang Season Direct Transaction Market" for two days from the 24th to the 25th at Yangcheon Park to supply high-quality kimjang ingredients to the local community and help increase farmers' sales during the kimjang season.
In particular, starting this year, the district expanded the participants of the kimjang season direct transaction market nationwide, allowing residents to access various regional specialties and fresh kimjang ingredients.
Additionally, a self-packaging booth supporting boxes for delivery services will be operated to provide shopping convenience comparable to large supermarkets. Furthermore, products specialized for the kimjang season, such as Yeosu Gatkimchi, Uiseong garlic, and Yeongyang chili peppers, will be attracted to enhance the flavor of kimchi.
This year, the market will include 23 local governments, including sister cities Buyeo-gun, Suncheon-si, and Ganghwa-gun, as well as new participants such as Gangneung-si, Uiseong-gun, Gongju-si, and Yeosu-si, along with 34 companies including social enterprises and cooperatives within the region. Various products such as local specialties, salted napa cabbage, and kimjang vegetables will be sold, and free delivery services within the district will be supported for residents' convenience. There will also be an experience event for keychains shaped like kimjang ingredients using coffee grounds (coffee extraction byproducts), which is highly anticipated.
The district plans to assign eight safety and quarantine personnel throughout the market and equip quarantine supplies and fire extinguishers to ensure safety management.
Through this market, it is expected to provide residents with high-quality and fresh local specialties at affordable prices while helping increase farmers' sales who are struggling to secure sales channels due to the economic downturn, thereby contributing to the revitalization of economic exchanges between urban and rural areas.
The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation surveyed prices of 14 major kimjang ingredients at 17 traditional markets and 27 large distribution companies nationwide and projected this year's kimjang cost to be 221,389 KRW (based on 20 heads of napa cabbage).
Lee Gi-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, said, "The kimjang season direct transaction market is a great opportunity to purchase fresh and high-quality kimjang ingredients at affordable prices, so we ask for the interest and visits of many residents."
Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) emptied the "Gwangjin Jangdokdae" on the rooftop of the Gwangjin-gu Office Administrative Support Building on the 16th to share jang (fermented sauces) with residents.
The "Gwangjin Jangdokdae" contained traditional jang that had been fermented and aged throughout the year. The "jang sharing" is the process of distributing this traditional jang and is conducted as the final stage of the "Gwangjin Jangdokdae, Traditional Jang Making" experience.
The "Gwangjin Jangdokdae, Traditional Jang Making" experience, held by the Gwangjin-gu Public Health Center for four years since 2019 with residents, proceeds in the order of ▲participant recruitment (February) ▲jang making (March) ▲jang dividing (May) ▲jang safety inspection (October) ▲jang sharing (November).
The district has promoted this experience to share with residents how to select good meju (fermented soybean blocks) and how to make and manage jang, helping residents easily make jang at home. It also plays a significant role in spreading the excellence of traditional Korean foods and the culture of healthy eating.
This year's experience is simultaneously operated at six locations based on the local community, including Gwangjin-gu Office, district community centers, Junggok Jeil Market, and Jayang Kindergarten, with about 150 residents expected to participate in the "jang sharing" by the 18th.
The district distributes 3kg of matured doenjang (soybean paste) and 750ml of soy sauce to participants and provides a book containing traditional jang recipes so they can use the jang in various ways at home.
In particular, since 2020, the district has also shared matured traditional jang with vulnerable groups. This year, the matured traditional jang will be delivered to about 70 vulnerable households.
One participant said, "I feel proud to be able to eat healthy jang that I made with my own hands over the year," adding, "It is even more meaningful to share the jang with vulnerable groups."
Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, "This experience is not only about promoting the excellence of our traditional foods but also serves as a medium for communication and connection within the local community, making it even more meaningful."
The "Gwangjin Jangdokdae, Traditional Jang Making" experience is planned to continue in 2023, with participant recruitment scheduled for February. Residents wishing to participate can inquire at the Gwangjin-gu Public Health Center Health Policy Division.
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