"Stocking Up Brings Peace of Mind"... The Mobile Market Solving Life-Threatening Grocery Trips [Food Desert] ③

People Living in Food Deserts
Scenes from a Mobile Market Day

Editor's NoteHave you ever found grocery shopping difficult? In an era where you can buy any food you need online or offline at any time, it may seem unimaginable. Yet, there are places in South Korea where there is no supermarket within walking distance and even delivery services do not reach, making it hard to access food. These areas are called "food deserts," where finding food is as difficult as finding an oasis in the desert. Food deserts are expanding due to aging populations, the decline of rural areas, and the digital divide. We aim to examine the challenges that inconvenience in daily grocery shopping creates, and to reflect on possible solutions together.

On the 1st, residents visiting the Door-to-Door Dangjin Rural Mobile Market set up at the Dogok 1-ri Village Hall in Hapdeok-eup, Dangjin, Chungnam, are purchasing goods. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Dogok-ri, Hapdeok-eup, Dangjin-si, Chungcheongnam-do, has been classified as a food desert. There are only two ways for elderly residents here to safely shop for groceries: either a supermarket opens nearby, or more transportation options become available. In response, Dangjin City applied for Dogok-ri to be selected as a pilot site for the "Door-to-Door Rural Mobile Market" project run by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and began operations last month.

On the 1st, the Dangjin Rural Mobile Market truck visited each household and entered the village hall in Dogok 1-ri, Hapdeok-eup, Dangjin, Chungnam. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Dangjin City operates the "Dangchan Store," a mobile market that visits the village hall once a week, and the "Dangchan Bus," which helps elderly residents travel round-trip between the village hall and Hapdeok Nonghyup. This allows residents to shop without having to venture onto the two-lane road. While the pilot project cannot yet meet every need, local seniors say that thanks to the weekly mobile market, they worry less about securing food for the winter.

Even if it’s just enough to get by... Precious food secured through the mobile market

At 9:30 a.m. on the 1st, in front of the Dogok-ri village hall. There were still 30 minutes until the mobile market’s arrival, but residents began gathering at the hall one by one. Staff from the Dangjin City Rural Revitalization Support Center, responsible for the project on-site, greeted the village chief and the head of the senior citizens’ association, exchanging warm hellos and catching up. The shoe rack at the hall quickly filled up with the shoes of seniors waiting for the mobile market to arrive.

At 10 a.m., a truck bearing the sign "Dangjin Rural Mobile Market Dangchan Store" arrived in front of the hall. As the staff opened the truck doors, neatly arranged goods came into view.

On the 1st, the Dangjin Rural Mobile Market visiting each household arrived at the Dogok 1-ri Village Hall in Hapdeok-eup, Dangjin, Chungnam. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

The essential items sold at the mobile market are eggs, bean sprouts, and tofu-basic sources of protein and fiber. In winter, when the harvest is over and the soil in home gardens begins to freeze, it becomes difficult to eat homegrown vegetables. Other items seemed to reflect the preferences of the elderly: Sikhye (sweet rice drink), ion drinks, and juice stood out. Especially popular among the seniors were the artificial sweetener "New Sugar," which adds sweetness to dishes, and "Miwon," which enhances flavor. Almost everyone bought at least one bag, as if it were a tradition. Bulky and heavy items like starch syrup, soy sauce, fabric softener, and bleach are also staples at the mobile market, as residents no longer have to carry them from the Hanaro Mart in town. There were also many long-lasting products such as marinated pork ribs, beef rib marinade, canned yellow peaches, canned mackerel pike, instant noodles, and noodles.

On the 1st, residents visiting the Door-to-Door Dangjin Rural Mobile Market set up at the Dogok 1-ri Village Hall in Hapdeok-eup, Dangjin, Chungnam, are purchasing goods. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

The area in front of the hall quickly became crowded with people browsing and shopping at the mobile market. Amid the noise, someone said, "Here comes the elder," and everyone fell silent for a moment. It was Kim Jisoo, 76 years old. With a stooped back, Kim slowly made their way to the mobile market. Once Kim arrived safely, the area became lively again.

Amid the flurry of voices-"Could you take that out for me?" "Can I just take it out and look at it myself?"-Kim carefully and thoroughly selected items and placed them down gently. Kim purchased a pack of thin noodles, a box of mild instant noodles, a 1.5-liter bottle of mango juice, and a 1-liter bottle of bleach for cleaning the bathroom.

On the 1st, residents visiting the Door-to-Door Dangjin Rural Mobile Market set up at the Dogok 1-ri Village Hall in Hapdeok-eup, Dangjin, Chungnam, are purchasing goods. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

When asked how they would carry everything home and offered help, Kim waved it off, saying everything could be loaded onto a four-wheeled scooter. Kim then brought the scooter over and began loading the groceries, including the box of noodles. Without the mobile market, Kim would have had to take the scooter onto the dangerous road to the Nonghyup in town.

"Elderly people’s range of movement shrinks in winter. Having the market come into the village itself is a great comfort," explained village chief Yoon Jaehyuk. For seniors with mobility issues, even buying a mackerel in town is no easy task, and since most people stay home due to the cold, their meals become even less nutritious in winter. Looking at Kim’s scooter loaded with instant noodles and noodles, Yoon commented, "No one’s thinking about nutrition or anything like that. It’s just about getting by-just eating whatever’s available to survive another day."

Ultimately, the weekly market ends up providing snacks, meals, dinner side dishes, and the peace of mind of having a stocked pantry for the village residents. When asked how things have changed since the mobile market started, Kim replied, "It’s not like we’re suddenly rich. We just can’t do without it, that’s all."

On the 1st, residents visiting the Door-to-Door Dangjin Rural Mobile Market set up at the Dogok 1-ri Village Hall in Hapdeok-eup, Dangjin, Chungnam, are purchasing goods. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Elders gather, volunteers care... The mobile market as a community hub

During the two hours the mobile market stays, the village hall bustles with about thirty people coming and going. Volunteers help residents select items, bring down goods from high shelves, and handle payments-all while checking in on residents’ well-being and health. Among the residents, greetings like "When else would we see each other’s faces?" and "I didn’t bring any money," met with "I’ll pay for you, just pay me back later," reflect the sense of community. Gathering once a week for shopping also provides a chance to check in on each other’s lives and health.

On the 1st, residents who visited the Door-to-Door Dangjin Rural Mobile Market set up at the Dogok 1-ri Village Hall in Hapdeok-eup, Dangjin, Chungnam, were seen moving after purchasing goods. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

"Leave your things there and have lunch before you go," someone called out as residents gathered, and the kitchen inside the hall became busy as well. They serve lunch on days when many people gather, currently twice a week, because otherwise, it would be difficult for seniors to have a proper meal.

The lunch served that day was rice and beef radish soup. Lee Jaehong, 74, head of the senior citizens’ association, emphasized, "What we’re proud of is that we always include beef, or at least pork or squid, in our meals." Lee added, "You have to include protein. I hear that in other places, they only serve seaweed soup or bean sprout soup, but we’ve never done that. Dogok-ri is known for serving well-prepared meals."

Village chief Yoon also stressed, "If elderly people are just sitting at home alone watching TV, their memory declines and they lose energy. By gathering together on mobile market days and caring for one another, we can live healthier lives."

Need for more fresh food... Future improvements required

On the 1st, residents visiting the Door-to-Door Dangjin Rural Mobile Market set up at the Dogok 1-ri Village Hall in Hapdeok-eup, Dangjin, Chungnam, are purchasing goods. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

However, as this is still a pilot project, there are areas that need improvement. While basic staples like eggs, tofu, and bean sprouts are available, there is still a shortage of fresh foods such as meat, seafood, vegetables, and fruit-essential for preventing nutritional imbalance. To buy these, residents still have to make the trip to the Nonghyup in town. Residents also say there is a need for a system to take orders in advance before the market visits.

The mobile market vehicle is equipped with refrigeration and freezing facilities, but there are still concerns about food spoilage. A representative from the Dangjin City Rural Revitalization Support Center said, "As this is still a pilot project, we are continuing to identify and address issues on site. Going forward, we will faithfully reflect the needs of the community and work to resolve them when the project is implemented in full."