Yoon Visits Hanaro Mart Changdong Branch for Price Inspection
Meets Citizens, Promises "Efforts to Stabilize Prices"
Urges Agriculture Minister to Manage Supply
Greets Citizens and Takes Photos
President Yoon Suk-yeol visited the Nonghyup Hanaro Mart Changdong branch in Dobong-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 3rd to check the prices of essential goods for the Chuseok holiday. Speaking to citizens shopping, President Yoon said, "We will strive to stabilize prices," and also urged the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, who accompanied him, to manage supply.
On that day, President Yoon visited Hanaro Mart to meet citizens preparing for the holiday and listen to their concerns about grocery prices, according to a written briefing by Presidential Spokesperson Jeong Hye-jeon.
The Hanaro Mart visited by President Yoon is a representative agricultural, livestock, and seafood distribution store operated by Nonghyup, which directly procures agricultural, livestock, and seafood products from production cooperatives to keep prices relatively low. The Changdong branch is the largest Hanaro Mart store in northern Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.
Receiving a warm welcome from citizens and employees shopping, President Yoon entered the mart and shopped alongside citizens with a cart.
First, he stopped by the fruit section on the first floor to directly check the prices of major holiday items such as apples and pears. At the apple stand, President Yoon asked customers shopping, "Are your holiday preparations going well?" and added, "Apple and pear prices are still high, but the government is releasing a large amount of stockpiled reserves to lower prices, so please wait a little longer."
He then moved to the vegetable section, where he received an explanation from Kim Ju-yang, head of the Nonghyup Economic Holding Company’s production wholesale division, about the crop conditions and price trends of vegetables such as napa cabbage and garlic. President Yoon asked questions like "Where is the origin?" and "How much is the price discount?" To a customer carrying two heads of napa cabbage, he asked, "Have cabbage prices improved a bit?" and said, "We will work to stabilize prices as the holiday approaches."
President Yoon Suk-yeol is inspecting fruit prices on-site while checking discounted apples supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs at the Nonghyup Hanaro Mart Yangjae branch fruit store in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on March 18. [Image source=Yonhap News]
To Minister Song Mi-ryeong of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, who was with him, he urged, "From now until the kimchi-making season, supply management of napa cabbage must be well handled." President Yoon also inquired with Nonghyup officials about the sales status of affordable livelihood gift sets prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture and Nonghyup.
President Yoon visited the seafood corner to check the price of dried yellow corvina, then at the egg section, he asked Minister Song once again to ensure that eggs are sufficiently supplied for the holiday.
At the Korean beef section, he checked the prices on each packaged beef pack to monitor livestock product prices. When a customer shopping asked President Yoon, "Mr. President, I heard you cook well; please help me pick some meat for seaweed soup instead," President Yoon replied, "Meat with a bit of fat is good for making seaweed soup," and said, "Have a joyful holiday."
That day, President Yoon purchased 10 apples, a box of traditional Naju pears, a sack of Cheorwon Odae rice, a pack of native chicken, songpyeon (rice cake), injeolmi (powdered rice cake), and gim (seaweed). As he passed each sales counter, citizens greeted him with "Stay healthy, Mr. President," and requested handshakes. He frequently stopped to take selfies with customers. Spokesperson Jeong said, "At lunch with his aides, President Yoon shared the songpyeon and injeolmi purchased at the mart as dessert."
Accompanying President Yoon on the mart visit were Sung Tae-yoon, Chief of Policy Office at the Presidential Office; Minister Song; Minister Kang Do-hyung of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries; Kang Ho-dong, Chairman of Nonghyup Central Association; and Lee Dong-geun, CEO of Nonghyup Distribution.
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