“Shopping Bags in Hand, Into the Alleys”...Mungyeong City Council Raises Public Livelihood Temperature Ahead of Lunar New Year

Listening to Merchants' Difficulties and Supporting Them Through Purchases
On-Site Legislative Activities to Find Solutions

With the Lunar New Year peak season approaching, local councils have continued on-site activities to gauge public sentiment in their communities. Mungyeong City Council visited a traditional market, engaging with merchants and helping to bring warmth back to alleyway businesses that had grown cold.

Mungyeong City Council Lunar New Year Shopping Event

On the 13th, the council visited two markets in succession, purchasing ritual food items and local agricultural specialty products while checking on real economic conditions. They listened directly to the realities faced by merchants struggling with weakened consumption and rising operating costs, and expressed their intention to explore directions for policy support.

Council members and council secretariat staff walked through every corner of the alleys, greeting each store. Merchants shared how customer traffic had declined and appealed for greater attention and patronage, while the visiting group responded that they would faithfully reflect the opinions voiced on-site in their legislative work. As they exchanged New Year’s greetings with citizens, the atmosphere in the market became noticeably brighter.

Chairman Lee Jeonggeol said, “Traditional markets are the roots of the local economy and spaces where the stories of residents’ lives are layered over time,” adding, “When many people visit the markets, that in itself becomes the greatest encouragement for merchants.”

This schedule is being seen as a message that the council intends to find solutions in the field rather than through reports on a desk. There are growing expectations about whether taking part in holiday shopping ahead of the Lunar New Year can go beyond a one-off visit and lead to an expansion of local consumption.