[Report] "Prices Are Burdensome, But"...Smiles at Traditional Market Refund Events Ahead of Lunar New Year

Yangdong Market packed from early morning on first day of Lunar New Year holiday
Ritual offerings, seafood, and other foods in high demand
Refund event of up to 20,000 won eases financial burden
Some merchants suffer amid trend toward simplified ancestral rites

On the morning of the 14th, the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday, Yangdong Market in Seo-gu, Gwangju, is bustling with customers. Photo by Min Changi

"With prices so burdensome, I end up coming to the traditional market because at least there is a refund event. I really hope prices will stabilize this year."

On the morning of the 14th, the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday, Yangdong Market in Seo-gu, Gwangju was bustling.

From early morning, Yangdong Market, gearing up for Lunar New Year, was packed shoulder to shoulder with citizens buying ritual offerings, food, seafood, side dishes, and all kinds of other items. The parking lot quickly filled up, creating a long line of waiting cars, and some people in each party got out first to shop while leaving the driver to park. The market alleys were filled with the shouts of merchants trying to attract customers and the haggling of shoppers, creating a lively holiday peak-season atmosphere.

News that a refund event for Onnuri gift certificates would be held that day for agricultural, livestock, and marine products at a total of 15 traditional markets, including Yangdong Market, Namgwangju Market, Daein Market, and Bongseon Market, drew even more crowds.

Consumers who purchased agricultural, livestock, or marine products at traditional markets through that day could visit a refund booth in the market with their receipts and ID and receive paper Onnuri gift certificates according to their purchase amount. The refund criteria were: a 10,000 won refund for purchases of 34,000 won or more, and a 20,000 won refund for purchases of 67,000 won or more.

Amid soaring grocery prices, the sweet relief of the refund event helped ease customers' burdens to some extent. At the seafood market, customers were buying a wide range of seasonal seafood, from oysters and cockles to hongeo sashimi, yellow croaker, and butterfish.

At one seafood shop, customers lined up for a long time to buy hongeo, while the merchants, sweating beads, skillfully prepared the fish. Mr. Kim (66), who runs a seafood shop, said, "Thanks to the government's Onnuri gift certificate refund event, customers seem to be choosing traditional markets over big-box stores more often," adding, "A few days ago, a YouTuber bought hongeo at Yangdong Market and showed himself enjoying it, and perhaps because of that, more customers have been coming to buy hongeo."

Because of rising prices, many people were also opting for cheaper fish. Park Jungyong (64), who came shopping with his family, said, "It's been a while since we had a holiday, and our children are coming down from Seoul, so I wanted to buy yellow croaker for us, but the price is too much, so I only bought 2 kilograms," and added, "Even if it's expensive, parents want to feed their children plenty when they come home, but this year I just hope prices will stabilize, even a little."

Right next door, a shop specializing in jeon had put up a large sign reading "Ritual Offerings" and was selling various kinds of jeon. Kim Hwayeon (38), who came to the jeon shop to buy ritual offerings, said, "These days, we tend to simplify holiday food preparations," and added, "I want to spend more time with my family, so I'm planning to buy ready-made ritual offerings."

Perhaps thanks to the refund event, the rooftop of Yangdong Market, where the Onnuri gift certificate refund booth was set up, had a queue of citizens waiting for refunds stretching all the way down the stairs. One citizen waiting for a refund said, "I came early in the morning, but the line for refunds is so long that I've already been waiting for 30 minutes," and added, "Still, thanks to the refund event held every holiday, the burden is reduced and I end up coming to the traditional market."

However, not every merchant was smiling. Due to the trend toward simplifying ancestral rites, some shops selling ritual containers such as dishes saw their sales fall short of previous years. Mr. Park (68), who sells ritual containers, said, "Because there is a trend of simplifying ancestral rites, the number of customers looking for new dishes has noticeably decreased," adding, "Once people buy dishes, they use them for a long time, and they are also traded secondhand, so that seems to be another reason. The changed holiday atmosphere and soaring prices together have made business worse than in past years."