"If It's Expensive, Report It" Budget Market Reopens with Baek Jong-won Effect

by Kim Dongpyo

Published 03 Apr.2023 10:02(KST)

After a reorganization period of about a month, the reopened Yesan Market in Yesan-gun, Chungnam, attracted crowds from the very first day.

Yesan-gun, Chungnam, announced on the 3rd that about 15,000 people visited Yesan Market on the first day of its reopening on the 1st. The county explained that assuming a similar number of visitors as the previous day, approximately 30,000 people are expected to visit Yesan Market during the first weekend after reopening. Some roads in the Yesan area experienced congestion due to the influx of people heading to Yesan Market.

On the 1st, Baek Jong-won, CEO of The Born Korea (left), visited the reopened Yesan Market in Chungnam and toured the market. Yesan Market, which had been criticized for its uneven and dusty floor in the market stalls, was repaved and the public restrooms were renovated. After about a month of refurbishment work, the market reopened on this day.
[Photo by Yesan-gun]

Some visitors lined up even before the official opening time the day before, and some stores ran out of ingredients from the morning.

Previously, Yesan Market quickly became a nationwide attraction through the ‘Save Yesan Market Project’ promoted with Baek Jong-won, CEO of The Born Korea, in January.

However, since the opening, there have been continuous complaints about the lack of convenience facilities and the uneven market floor causing discomfort. As Yesan Market gained popularity, merchants operating nearby accommodations and restaurants caused controversy by charging customers ‘overpriced fees’ higher than usual prices.

In response to these criticisms, Yesan-gun closed the market for about a month from February 27 to March 31 for reorganization and reopened it the day before. They added 16 new stores, greatly expanded the menu, and installed a machine to guide visitors to register and wait for their turn in response to complaints about fierce competition for seats due to the crowd.

They also cracked down on ‘overpriced fees.’ Yesan-gun held a resolution meeting with nearby accommodation operators and food service providers to refrain from charging excessive fees and to work together to revitalize the local economy.

On the day before reopening, Baek Jong-won said on his YouTube channel, “If you are charged more than the announced prices at nearby tourist spots, food places, or accommodations, please report it to Yesan County Office,” adding, “We have decided to take action.”

Baek also visited Yesan Market in person on the reopening day to check on the operation status.

Kim Tae-heum, Governor of Chungnam, who toured the market with Baek, stated, “To resolve the parking difficulties caused by the rapid increase in visitors, we will support 10 billion won by 2025 to build a large-scale parking tower at Yesan Market.”