Concerns Over Shrinking Seafood Consumption Due to Japan's Contaminated Water Discharge
Lunch Held On-site While Greeting Market Merchants
President Yoon Suk-yeol visited Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on the 31st to inspect the safety of Korean seafood and encourage market officials. This visit was prompted by concerns over the decline in domestic seafood consumption due to the Japanese government's discharge of contaminated water. Among all past presidents, President Yoon is the first to visit Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market since its opening in 1927 as Gyeongseong Fisheries (now Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market).
Lee Do-woon, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, stated in a written briefing that "President Yoon visited Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market, a representative seafood market in Seoul, to inspect the safety of Korean seafood and personally purchased seafood such as rockfish, blue crab, and gizzard shad, while encouraging merchants and other related personnel."
President Yoon Suk-yeol is visiting Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on the 31st to encourage the merchants. [Photo by Yonhap News]
President Yoon toured the first-floor live fish and shellfish sales area with Cha Deok-ho, chairman of the Noryangjin Fisheries Market Merchants Association, and spoke with market merchants. One merchant showed a QR code on his mobile phone and explained, "Our seafood is safe and transparent." Another merchant expressed gratitude to the president for visiting during difficult economic times and said, "These days are very tough, but it has improved because the president and the government have been paying a lot of attention."
In response, President Yoon said, "I hope that by coming to Noryangjin Fisheries Market, the market merchants will feel encouraged even a little." He also asked kindergarten children on a field trip what kinds of fish they saw and if they had touched blue crabs.
On the second floor of Noryangjin Fisheries Market, President Yoon had lunch with Chief Secretary Kim Dae-gi, National Security Office Director Cho Tae-yong, and others, enjoying seasonal Korean seafood dishes such as rockfish soup, grilled gizzard shad, and steamed blue crab. The spokesperson said, "The president finished a bowl of rockfish soup and even asked for more broth," adding, "After lunch, the president shook hands with restaurant staff, took photos, and wished them 'good business.'"
That day, President Yoon also visited the 'Traditional Market Onnuri Gift Certificate Refund Event' and received a refund for the Onnuri gift certificates using the receipt from his purchase. The Onnuri gift certificate event refunds 30% (planned to increase to 40%) of the purchase price in gift certificates, up to 20,000 KRW per day, when receipts from seafood market purchases are presented. This event will be held daily until the end of the year to promote seafood consumption.
Meanwhile, on the same day, President Yoon designated October 2, the day between the Chuseok holiday and National Foundation Day, as a temporary holiday and decided to implement a government-wide plan to boost domestic demand by expanding the supply of essential goods. With the Chuseok holiday a month away and uncertainties in prices increasing due to fluctuations in international oil prices and weather conditions, the government plans to proactively manage prices and the domestic economy. Regarding unscientific criticisms of Japan's contaminated water discharge, President Yoon reiterated his determination to "actively respond to baseless rumors and provocations." He added, "We will allocate an additional 80 billion KRW from the contingency fund this year to promote the consumption of Korean seafood," and "Support for the seafood industry, which is currently struggling due to fake news and false provocations, will also be implemented swiftly and decisively."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
