Imsil-gun Successfully Hosts '1964 Gaemijin Market' at Grain Warehouse

Published 19 Jul.2022 14:00(KST)

[Imsil=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Nosik] Imsil-gun, Jeonbuk, held the ‘1964 Gaemijin Market’ six times at two-week intervals from April 29 to the 9th of this month at the Imsil Seonggari Grain Warehouse, where residents used to store their provisions long ago.

The county recently announced on the 19th that at the Seonggari Grain Warehouse, young people from Imsil gathered in small groups to operate a cultural market with unique events and trendy space arrangements under the concept of ‘Gaemijida,’ showcasing local culture, food, and products of Imsil.

The warehouse and village roads, which were once empty, became crowded with people enjoying the event, and local residents also joined in the fun, revitalized after a long time.

This event, hosted by the county and organized by the Imsil Samsam Oso Youth Sunshine Cooperative, was conducted as part of the Jeonbuk-style Sunshine-filled Rural Regeneration Project.

It provided various content such as entertainment and cultural performances for tourists visiting the Imsil Cheese Factory in Seonggari and local residents.

A concert featuring jazz and fusion popera performances and seven different art teams from the Imsil area was held, along with an animal puppet show telling the cheese stories of grandmothers living in Seonggari.

Various experiential events and flea markets were also held for participants.

Experience booths such as cheese fondue making and deform block crafting were operated, and families could enjoy various traditional folk programs such as rice cake pounding, jegichagi (Korean shuttlecock kicking), water gun play, and dalgona candy making.

Additionally, various items such as preserved bird crafts, bulgogi pizza, grillable cheese, drip coffee, and glasses of wine were sold, and all experiences and flea markets could be accessed using coins provided through an SNS certification photo event.

Seonggari is the birthplace of Imsil Cheese and the village where Father Jeong Jihwan first settled in Imsil. Since 1964, it has been a place with life and stories shared with village residents, and Imsil-gun is preparing to make it a hub space for the Jeonbuk-style regeneration project.

County Governor Shim Min said, “Through the Seongga District Jeonbuk-style Urban Regeneration New Deal Project and the Sunshine-filled Rural Regeneration Project, we hope to provide various attractions and entertainment to customers visiting the old downtown area, increase residents’ interest, and furthermore, provide practical help to merchants’ sales, becoming a turning point for the revival of the old downtown.”