Busan is good

First Traditional Market Rebate Event Hosted by Busan City Draws 35,000 Visitors in 3 Days – Revitalizing Local Markets

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The Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) and the Busan Traditional Market Merchants Association (Chairman Kwon Taek-jun) announced that the Onnuri Gift Certificate Rebate Event, held from June 12 (Wed) to June 14 (Fri), concluded successfully.

The purpose of this event was to revive spending and restore sales in traditional markets weakened by economic downturns. Funded by Busan’s emergency welfare budget, the rebate event was conducted simultaneously in 82 traditional markets across the city.

The campaign received enthusiastic participation and support from both citizens and merchants.

• ●Over the course of 3 days, around 35,000 people took part

• ●Total spending reached approximately 2.26 billion KRW

• ●Rebates issued totaled about 367 million KRW in Onnuri gift certificates

Most participating markets experienced a surge in foot traffic and vibrant market atmospheres, with merchants commenting:

“It’s been a long time since we’ve felt such energy despite the economic slump,”
“It was a great opportunity to bring customers back to the market,”
“We hope events like this continue.”

A distinguishing feature of this event was that, unlike previous rebate events led by central ministries such as the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries or the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, this was Busan City's own initiative, with city funds used to plan and implement the program comprehensively.

In contrast to previous events, which were limited to agricultural and marine products, this event had no item restrictions, expanding the rebate eligibility to include retail shops, restaurants, and most business types within the traditional markets—drawing wide attention.

Moreover, participation was not limited to select markets, but opened to all markets that expressed interest, resulting in 82 markets citywide joining the campaign and greatly contributing to practical consumption revitalization.

However, the event also highlighted a few operational challenges:

• ●Long lines before opening hours at some markets

• ●Early depletion of gift certificate stock, leading to unfulfilled rebates

To address these issues, the city plans to:

• ●Increase the budget and staff during the next round of events in August–September

• ●Improve operational efficiency and user convenience

Mayor Park Heong-joon remarked:

“This rebate program was more than just a consumer incentive. It was a meaningful effort to encourage citizens to revisit traditional markets and breathe real energy back into the market economy.
We will expand support in the second half of the year to ensure even more tangible outcomes for both citizens and merchants.”