Enhancing Traditional Market Competitiveness... Ministry of SMEs Strengthens Support for Specialized Markets Development

Selected 80 New Markets for Customized Support
Plan to Listen to Merchants' Requests as Well

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will strengthen the development of specialized markets to enhance the competitiveness of traditional markets.

Cheongnyangni General Market, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

On the 31st, the Ministry announced that it will newly select 80 markets for the specialized market development project this year and provide customized support according to the characteristics of each market.

This year’s specialized markets include 21 markets for foundational first-step development, 40 cultural tourism-type markets that are intensively developed by linking regional culture and tourism resources, and 19 markets supporting digital transformation. By region, there are 17 in Seoul, 16 in Gyeonggi, 7 in Gyeongbuk, 6 each in Ulsan and Jeonnam, 5 in Chungbuk, 4 each in Busan, Chungnam, and Gyeongnam, 3 in Incheon, and 2 each in Daegu, Gwangju, and Daejeon.

The Ministry plans to visit two cultural tourism-type markets and one digital market in relay to listen to merchants’ suggestions for successful project implementation.

Won Young-jun, Director of the Small Business Policy Office at the Ministry, said, “Through customized support for specialized markets, we will promote the expansion of new customer inflow and sales increase to further strengthen the sustainable development of markets. Going forward, the Ministry will continue to prioritize traditional markets and small business owners and tirelessly work within the lives of the people.”

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