Up to 30% Cheaper... Seoul City Opens Direct Trade Market for Chuseok

Seoul Plaza for 3 Days from the 11th to the 13th

Seoul City announced on the 7th that it will hold the nation's largest direct transaction market to celebrate Chuseok, the major traditional Korean holiday. This direct transaction market will be held for three days from the 11th to the 13th at Seoul Plaza, where visitors can purchase premium local agricultural, marine, and specialty products at prices up to 30% lower than market prices.

This event, which had been suspended due to COVID-19 and typhoons, will be held face-to-face for the first time in four years since 2019. The direct transaction market boasts the largest scale nationwide, with 9.57 million visitors and sales of 66.1 billion KRW recorded over more than ten years from 2009 to 2019.

At this year's 'Chuseok Agricultural, Marine, and Specialty Products Seoul Market' held at Seoul Plaza, visitors can find agricultural, marine, and specialty products from 10 metropolitan governments and 80 cities and counties nationwide, totaling over 500 items. Especially, regional representative specialty products can be purchased at prices 10 to 30% lower than market prices.

Agricultural and marine products directly produced by farms from 10 provinces including Incheon, Gwangju, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungbuk, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam will be displayed, along with representative local specialties such as Gapyeong pine nuts and Geumsan ginseng.

This Chuseok Seoul Market will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., operating sales booths by product categories such as agricultural products, marine products, and specialties to help citizens easily find the products they want.

In particular, a special Hanwoo (Korean beef) truck will be stationed on the west side of Seoul Plaza every day, selling representative Hanwoo from participating provinces at prices up to 30% cheaper than market prices.

The city provides Seoul citizens with information on the products and prices from producing farms in advance through the 'Seoul Market website' and plans to continue promoting the market to encourage ongoing purchases even after the event.

Mayor Oh Se-hoon stated, "The Seoul Market is a budget-friendly market where Seoul citizens can safely and affordably purchase high-quality local agricultural, marine, and specialty products ahead of Chuseok. For producing farms, it is the largest direct transaction market where they can meet consumers directly and open sales channels. As this is a festival of coexistence between Seoul and local regions held face-to-face for the first time in four years, I hope many citizens will come and take home the warmth of their hometown along with affordable agricultural and marine products."