Promoting the Excellence of Traditional Markets Nationwide: "From Korea to the World"

Held from 18th to 20th at Sokcho Suhyup Port Site
About 400 Foreign Cruise Visitors Expected to Attend Expo

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 18th that the '2024 National Excellent Market Expo, K-Traditional Market Fair in Sokcho' will be held for three days until the 20th at the Sokcho Fisheries Cooperative port site in Gangwon Province.

Celebrating its 20th edition, the National Excellent Market Expo is the largest event for traditional markets held annually since 2004. It features exhibitions and sales of excellent products from traditional markets nationwide, along with various cultural events.

This year’s expo slogan is “With the power of the changing K-Traditional Market, beyond Korea to the world!” Based on concepts such as Korean traditional market products exported overseas and traditional markets frequently visited by foreigners, the event will showcase attempts to glimpse the future of the global K-Traditional Market.

About 130 traditional markets and 230 stores nationwide are participating. The event offers a wide variety of over 400 excellent traditional market products in the traditional market hall and food market, as well as more than 100 types of diverse food, sights, and entertainment.

Additionally, an outdoor K-Traditional Market History Hall and a children’s art exhibition will be set up to showcase the past and present of Korean traditional markets. A separate Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province pavilion will feature youth merchant food trucks and traditional markets from Gangwon Province.

On the last day of the expo, the 20th, about 400 foreign customers arriving on the Nurdam cruise ship at Sokcho International Terminal are expected to visit the expo. Visitors will enjoy folk traditional games such as Samulnori and tightrope walking, as well as K-POP performances and a large-scale bibimbap making performance.

Also, on the nights of the 18th and 19th, 500 drones will light up Cheongcho Lake. Activities such as sea shell craft sand candles, calligraphy cup making, and busking performances by Sokcho artists will continue daily.

At the opening ceremony, about 200 people attended, including Minister Oh Young-joo of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Kim Jin-tae, Governor of Gangwon Province, Lee Byung-sun, Mayor of Sokcho, Park Sung-hyo, Chairman of the Small Enterprise and Market Service, Lee Choong-hwan, President of the National Merchants Federation, market merchants, and local residents.

Minister Oh said, “This event was planned and presented with traditional folk games and bibimbap making experiences to meet the demands of foreign tourists visiting Sokcho. We have made efforts to promote the excellence of our traditional markets not only domestically but also globally,” adding, “I hope this will help revitalize local commercial districts and contribute to the activation of our traditional markets.”

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