Busan-Style 'Advance Payment' Campaign Kicks Off at Gupo Market in the New Year

Busan City Launches Campaign, Engages Merchants, and Listens to Their Concerns

Busan City is taking the initiative to spread the 'Busan-Style Advance Payment' campaign at traditional markets starting in the new year.

On January 13 at 2:30 p.m., Busan City announced that it will visit 'Jeongi Itneun Gupo Market' in Gupo-dong, Buk-gu, to hold a Busan-Style Advance Payment campaign and engage in dialogue with market merchants.

This visit is intended to directly observe the traditional market sites facing difficulties due to reduced consumption and economic downturn, and to promote a recovery in consumer spending through advance payments.

On this day, Busan Mayor Park Hyungjoon will hold a meeting with merchants to listen to their feedback on market operations and challenges. The city will share on-site opinions regarding the market atmosphere ahead of the holiday season, practical difficulties faced in operating traditional markets, ways to promote consumption, and strategies for revitalizing the markets. The suggestions collected will be reflected in future policies to support traditional markets.

Through the subsequent 'Busan-Style Advance Payment' campaign, the city will also highlight the purpose of promoting consumption and the necessity of expanding advance payment practices. The Busan-Style Advance Payment involves paying in advance at a store and then returning later to make a purchase. This is a Busan-specific policy designed to improve cash flow for small business owners in traditional markets and local commercial districts, and to encourage a virtuous cycle of local consumption.

With this campaign, the city aims to have public institutions take the lead and to expand voluntary participation from the private sector, so that advance payment becomes an effective solution for revitalizing traditional markets and neighborhood businesses. The city plans to ensure this is not a one-off event, but rather spreads as a consumer recovery trend that both citizens and merchants can feel in their daily lives. Participation will also be continuously expanded, focusing on city-affiliated and related organizations.

Mayor Park will also inspect the business conditions and atmosphere along the main routes of the market. Based on the findings and feedback from merchants during this visit, the city will continue to improve convenience for users and promote consumption, supplementing necessary policies. The city will also continue on-site inspections and support centered on traditional markets.

Mayor Park Hyungjoon emphasized, "Traditional markets are where the impact of consumption is felt most directly. We will faithfully reflect the voices from the field so that traditional markets can regain their vitality."