Governor Kim Dong-yeon: "Traditional Markets Are Like a Mother's Embrace... We Will Preserve Their Value"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is shopping at a traditional market. Photo by Kim Dong-yeon, posted on his Facebook page.

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, reflected on his childhood as he celebrated Seollal and pledged to do his best to protect traditional markets and local businesses in alleyways.

On the 23rd, a day after Seollal, Governor Kim posted on Facebook, "My mother, raising six family members alone, worked at a quarry and also gathered wild greens from the mountains to sell at the market," recalling the traditional markets closely connected to him.

He continued, "When I see the rough hands of market merchants, I think of my mother who worked so hard," and added, "After passing the civil service exam, when I volunteered to work at the Chungbuk Provincial Office, I vividly remember crossing 'Yukgeori Market' on my way home."

Governor Kim also shared an anecdote about visiting a traditional market last year.

He said, "During the last election period, when I visited Uijeongbu Jeil Market and had lunch with the head of the merchants' association, one merchant asked, 'Deputy Prime Minister, is this your first time eating janchi-guksu?' When they heard I had served as Deputy Prime Minister, they thought I had never experienced hardship," and introduced, "I told them, 'My family was poor when I was young, so I often ate sujebi or kalguksu, and I still really like them.' The head of the merchants' association then became teary-eyed."

Governor Kim especially emphasized, "It is more important than ever to protect the common people and small business owners who can be severely affected by the economic crisis. This month as well, I visited Uijeongbu Jeil Market and Yongin Jungang Market," and promised, "Gyeonggi Province will preserve the value of traditional markets and local alleyway businesses, which cannot be measured solely by economic standards."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.