From heritage to hot spot, Gyeongdong Market thrives ahead of Lunar New Year

Culture Minister Yu In-chon visited Gyeongdong Market ahead of the Lunar New Year to encourage merchants, highlight its transformation into a trendy hot spot and emphasize the importance of traditional markets as cultural and tourist destinations.

Culture Minister Yu In-chon looks around Gyeongdong Market in central Seoul on Friday. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

Culture Minister Yu In-chon looks around Gyeongdong Market in central Seoul on Friday. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon visited Gyeongdong Market in Dongdaemun District, central Seoul, on Friday ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays to encourage merchants and discuss ideas for revitalizing traditional markets.

“It’s amazing to see so many people shopping at the market at this morning hour,” said Yu as he toured the market for an hour starting at 10 a.m. Gyeongdong Market, with its 60-year history, has recently become a trendy hangout spot, attracting both young locals and foreigners.

With the opening of the Starbucks Kyungdong 1960 branch in 2022 inside the market, which transformed the abandoned Gyeongdong Theater that had closed its doors in 1994, other hip cafes and rooftop bars began opening one after another.

Choi Young-soo, CEO of KD Market, which operates Gyeongdong Market, said the market saw a “great increase in the number of visitors after transforming old abandoned storage spaces and welcoming new businesses.”

Culture Minister Yu In-chon looks around Gyeongdong Market in central Seoul on Friday. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

“I highly praise the market’s efforts, working together in harmony to revitalize the traditional market,” Yu said, emphasizing the importance of such initiatives.

Yu said that communication and collaboration among merchants are essential for sustaining traditional markets.

“Suwon’s Motgol Market, a traditional food ingredients market, is a successful example of collaborative efforts among merchants,” he said.

Culture Minister Yu In-chon tries a dried date at Gyeongdong Market in central Seoul on Friday. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

Since 2009, Motgol Market merchants have run a radio program aired within the market, taking turns as DJs to play music and share personal stories. The merchants have even formed a choir.

During his visit to Gyeongdong Market, Yu shopped for the upcoming Lunar New Year’s jesa, or ancestral rites ceremony, purchasing garlic, dried thistle, tteok (rice cake) and traditional snacks using Onnuri gift certificates, which can be used as cash at traditional markets.

“Traditional markets are one of the most popular tourist attractions for global visitors and perfect places to enjoy and experience K-content firsthand,” Yu said. “We will continue working together to create an environment where both domestic and international tourists can confidently enjoy their visits. During the Lunar New Year holidays, I encourage everyone to stop by their hometown’s major tourist spots and traditional markets.”

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]