OH Youngju, Minister of SMEs and Startups, visited Gyeongdong Market in Seoul on September 13 (Friday), a day before the Chuseok holiday, accompanied by Georg Wilfried Schmidt, the Ambassador of Germany, and Vu Ho, the Ambassador of Vietnam.
 
* Gyeongdong Market is the largest herbal medicine market in the country, frequently visited by Georg Wilfried Schmidt, the Ambassador of Germany, and features shops operated by Vietnamese merchants.
 
Minister OH Youngju expressed her appreciation to Georg Wilfried Schmidt, the Ambassador of Germany, who has earned the nickname "Market Ambassador" due to his frequent visits to traditional markets since arriving in Korea, as well as to Vu Ho, the Ambassador of Vietnam, for his keen interest in the participation of Vietnamese merchants in Korea's traditional markets.
 
Minister OH stated, “We hope that the September K-Shopping Festa, a nationwide consumer festival, can expand internationally, having held its opening event in Hanoi, Vietnam for the first time. We wish for excellent products from Korea's SMEs to be recognized not only in Asia, starting with Vietnam, but also across Europe and around the world. We also hope that our continued exchanges and cooperation with our important economic partners, Vietnam and Germany, will contribute to the economic development of all three countries.”
 
She added, “We are delighted and find great significance in being able to experience one of Korea's biggest holidays, Chuseok, together with the ambassadors at a traditional market. We hope that during Chuseok, more people will visit their local markets, which will further enhance the vitality of our traditional markets.”

She further stated, “We hope that our traditional markets and their products gain fame among foreign visitors to Korea, and we ask for your continued support and affection for our K-Traditional Markets until they become global attractions.”
 
In celebration of Chuseok, traditional markets will offer discounts on the Onnuri gift certificates, and there will be a refund event for the Onnuri gift certificates specifically for Chuseok, running until September 15 (Friday) this week.
 
In addition, from August 28 (Monday) to September 28 (Sunday), a total of 34 night markets will be held in local traditional markets during the K-Shopping Festa period, offering a variety of food, cultural performances, and experiential events, thereby playing a significant role in revitalizing the local economy.
 
On the other hand, the cost of preparing a Chuseok ritual table for four people is KRW 298,313 in traditional markets, compared to KRW 371,097 in large supermarkets, making traditional markets KRW 72,784 (19.6%) cheaper. Furthermore, among the 27 items surveyed, 22 items were found to be cheaper in traditional markets.