Traditional Markets Offer Up to 30% Discount on Chuseok Seasonal Goods... Joint Visit by Ministry of SMEs and Startups and Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Kim Seong-seop, Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and Park Beom-su, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, visited Dapsimni Hyundai Market located in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 13th to check the supply status of Chuseok seasonal products and price trends.

This visit was arranged to review the progress of policies such as the joint purchase support project for apple and pear gift sets by traditional market merchant associations, which was piloted through collaboration between the two ministries to expand the supply of Chuseok seasonal products, and the special discount sale of Onnuri gift certificates.

The government is operating a pilot project where traditional market merchant associations jointly purchase apple and pear gift sets at discounted prices from local agricultural cooperatives to revitalize traditional markets during Chuseok. Starting with the special discount sale of Onnuri gift certificates before the Chuseok holiday, various benefits centered on traditional markets are being provided, including Onnuri gift certificate refund events at 120 traditional markets nationwide until the 15th, and night market operations at 34 traditional markets nationwide until the 28th.

In addition, to meet holiday demand, the supply volume of apples and pears in the market has been expanded more than threefold (30,000 tons) compared to normal times. The government is also implementing strengthened measures to stabilize the supply of Chuseok seasonal products, such as expanding discount support and additional supply of practical gift sets.

Visiting the site and observing sales trends at a fruit store, Park Beom-su, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated, “Two stores participating in the apple and pear gift set discount had previously procured products through individual suppliers, but this time they are supplied at discounted prices through agricultural cooperatives. We expect that if this model spreads, it will be possible to supply and sell products at lower prices. We will cooperate with related ministries to expand joint purchases in traditional markets.”

Kim Seong-seop, Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, “Statistics show that traditional markets are cheaper than large supermarkets for Chuseok ancestral rites this year. We hope that during this Chuseok holiday, people will purchase Onnuri gift certificates and visit their hometown traditional markets to enjoy not only affordable products but also the warm atmosphere of the holiday.” He added, “The government will continue to cooperate with related ministries to revitalize traditional markets and will ensure that support for traditional markets is carried out without any setbacks.”