Sojinkong to Expand 'Traditional Market Experience Program' to 200,000 Participants This Year

The Small Enterprise and Market Service announced on the 18th that it will expand the 'Traditional Market Future Customer Program' to reach 200,000 participants this year.

This project is a traditional market experience program conducted with various themes such as shopping, using Onnuri gift certificates, economic and character education, drawing contests, and talent shows, targeting children as future customers of traditional markets. After a pilot operation in 2022, it has been actively promoted since last year.

On May 14, the Small Enterprise and Market Service held a traditional market experience event for children at Taepyeong Market in Jung-gu, Daejeon. (Photo by Small Enterprise and Market Service)

Over the past year, 139,000 children visited 788 markets cumulatively, exceeding the initial goal of 100,000 participants and receiving high acclaim.

This year, the Small Enterprise and Market Service aims to revitalize about 1,850 traditional markets and shopping districts and achieve participation of 200,000 people by providing direct and indirect experiences of traditional markets to create opportunities for these markets to be recognized as familiar spaces. To this end, the target participants have been expanded from kindergarten and elementary school students to include middle and high school students.

As a result of operating the program in connection with the May Companion Festival period, as of June, a cumulative total of 93,000 children and adolescent customers have visited 414 traditional markets nationwide.

On May 14, about 30 employees of the Small Enterprise and Market Service and 180 kindergarten children from Daejeon City participated in a shopping experience and also took part in the '100 Won Auction' independently operated by Taepyeong Market in Jung-gu, Daejeon, providing an opportunity to experience an auction.

From the second half of the year, to expand opportunities for more children and adolescents to understand traditional markets and participate in real economy education, the Service will conduct an educational donation program that visits schools directly to provide economic education during periods when outdoor activities are difficult due to hot or cold weather.

To help adolescents acquire correct economic concepts and broaden their understanding of traditional markets and regional economic revitalization, the 'Visiting Traditional Market Education' program will be systematically operated so that traditional markets nationwide can become new learning spaces.

Park Seong-hyo, Director of the Small Enterprise and Market Service, stated, “Traditional markets are cultural spaces where Korea’s traditions and history breathe and are places of learning where one can experience the real economy. Our Service will actively strive to expand various experience programs so that children and adolescents feel familiar with traditional markets and visit frequently to secure them as future customers. Through market and economic education donations, we will contribute not only to the revitalization of traditional markets but also to social contribution.”

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