Muan-gun Traditional Market Selected as Finalist for Specialized Market Development Project

The First Step Toward Becoming a Cultural Tourism Market

[Muan＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Oh Hwan-joo] Muan County, Jeollanam-do (Governor Kim San) has been selected for the 2023 Specialized Market Development Project (First Step Foundation) organized by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, securing a project fund of 250 million KRW for the Muan traditional market.

According to the county on the 31st, this project is a specialized market foundation development initiative that fosters the unique strengths of markets by linking local cultural and tourism resources, with a maximum project fund of 300 million KRW supported over one year.

Muan Traditional Market was selected in the market development project competition hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.
[Photo by Muan-gun]

The project contents include △ three major service innovations such as payment convenience, customer trust, and hygiene cleanliness △ two major capacity enhancements such as merchant organization and safety management △ fostering 83 youth star stores, permanent market establishment, and joint marketing.

If this project is successfully completed, depending on the evaluation results by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the market will be selected as a specialized market (cultural tourism type), providing an opportunity to receive up to 1 billion KRW over two years starting next year, raising great expectations among merchants.

Governor Kim San said, “This project fulfills the campaign promise of ‘traditional market tourism commercialization’ made to the residents in the 8th elected term. We will improve services according to consumer demands together with market merchants and nurture it into a premium market.”

Meanwhile, last year, Muan County was also finally selected for the Jeollanam-do traditional market facility modernization project and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ parking environment improvement project, securing 350 million KRW in project funds, and plans to complete the projects within the first half of this year.

Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Oh Hwan-joo ohj1358@asiae.co.kr