Gangjin-gun Transforms Maryang Nolto Fish Market Anew... Attracting Tourists

Published 12 Apr.2023 15:26(KST)

Held from the 22nd to October 28th, packed with unique attractions and activities

Maryang Nolto Fish Market, one of the representative tourist attractions in Gangjin, Jeollanam-do, has been completely transformed and is now enticing weekend tourists.

According to the county on the 12th, the 7th Maryang Nolto Fish Market (hereafter Maryang Nolto) will be held at the pristine Maryang Port every Saturday from the 22nd of this month until October 28, totaling 30 sessions.

Scenic View of Malyang Port, Gangjin [Photo by Gangjin-gun]

Since its first opening in May 2015, Maryang Nolto has established itself as a flagship tourism product of Gangjin County, attracting nearly 990,000 visitors until last year. Under the 8th local government administration, it is being prepared with even more diverse content.

First, differentiated content such as a dazzling 110-meter-long LED sea fountain, media facade, and air bounce playground equipment have been added. Additionally, a new program called the singing contest ‘Noraega Jotdan Maryang’ has been organized.

After monthly preliminaries, the final competition will be held on October 28 to determine the winners of each award, with a top prize of 2 million KRW. Various music concerts of different genres that match Maryang Nolto will also be held every month.

Events utilizing seasonal seafood will also be promoted. Starting with spring cuttlefish and webfoot octopus, summer will feature sea bass and conger eel (hamo), and autumn will highlight gizzard shad, blue crab, and octopus to stimulate visitors’ taste buds and excitement.

New menus using abalone, a local specialty, will be developed to offer even richer food options. However, the live sashimi cutting show has been excluded from this year’s events in consideration of opinions that it may appear somewhat harsh to children visiting the venue.

To revitalize and promote Maryang Nolto, popular singer concerts and fan meetings have also been arranged. On the 15th from 2 p.m., an invited performance and singing lessons will be held at the Maryang Observatory Cafe with singers Kim Hyunjin, Kwon Dohun, Jung Dahan, fan clubs, and local residents participating.

This plan includes maintaining the ‘3 Choi·3 Mu’ principle, which symbolizes Maryang Nolto, while presenting more enjoyable and visually appealing attractions to attract a large number of tourists.

The ‘3 Choi (最)’ stands for the highest freshness, highest quality, and lowest price, while the ‘3 Mu (無)’ is a promise to tourists that there will be no imported products, no Vibrio bacteria, and no overcharging.

The opening ceremony of Maryang Nolto will be held on the 22nd at 3 p.m. on a special stage inside the market, featuring a live recording of Mokpo MBC Radio’s ‘Joyful Afternoon 2 o’clock’ with ‘God of Janggu’ Park Seojin and Yoo Jina.

Gangjin County Governor Kang Jinwon said, “Tourists can enjoy the freshness and joy of the clean sea area, and local residents can earn more income. We have prepared with our best efforts,” adding, “We hope you enjoy delicious sashimi and create many joyful memories at Maryang Port, which is as beautiful and clean as the so-called Naples of Korea.”

Meanwhile, from the 21st for three days, the ‘3rd Gangjin Wolchulsan Spring Picnic Day’ will be held in the green tea fields of Seongjeon-myeon, Gangjin County. Visitors on those days are expected to enjoy both the Wolchulsan Spring Picnic Festival and Maryang Nolto simultaneously.