Busan is good

Park Heong-joon, Mayor of Busan, Visits Traditional Markets to Oversee Refund Events and Parking Environment Improvements — Accelerating Efforts to Revitalize Traditional Markets —

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that on the afternoon of the 6th (Thursday) at 3 p.m., the Mayor visited Mangmi Jungang Market in Suyeong-gu to check the status of the traditional market refund event aimed at revitalizing consumption.

He also visited the site of the parking environment improvement project and the stores of “Star Small Business Owners” to directly listen to the voices of citizens and merchants.

This visit was organized to confirm how the city’s policies to promote consumption in traditional markets—closely related to citizens’ daily lives—are actually being implemented on-site, and to actively reflect local feedback in future policies.

During the visit, Mayor Park personally visited the refund event booth, greeted citizens, asked about how much they felt the benefits of the program, and encouraged merchants while touring the market and continuing on-site communication.

He also visited stores of “Star Small Business Owners” that have shown growth momentum through expanded exports and increased sales, discussing ways to enhance innovation and competitiveness in traditional markets, while expressing support so that the challenges and innovation of merchants can lead to greater vitality in the local economy.

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Starting from November 6 to 8, Busan Metropolitan City is holding a Traditional Market Onnuri Gift Certificate Refund Event at 100 traditional markets.
Customers receive refunds of KRW 4,000 when purchasing over KRW 100,000, and KRW 7,000 when purchasing over KRW 200,000.

In the first event held in June, more than 11,000 participants generated approximately KRW 1.17 billion in sales, receiving a highly positive response from both merchants and citizens.

This second event allows citizens to combine purchases made at the same market over several days, enabling them to enjoy even greater benefits.

During the visit, Mayor Park checked the operation status of the refund booth and personally spoke with citizens waiting for refunds to hear their feedback.

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To improve accessibility to traditional markets, Busan Metropolitan City plans to expand the Mangmi Jungang Market public parking lot from 11 to 22 spaces next year as part of a parking environment improvement project.

By increasing parking facilities, the city expects to attract more citizens who previously hesitated to visit due to parking inconvenience, thereby helping to boost sales recovery and invigorate the local commercial area.

One merchant stated, “There used to be too few parking spaces near the market, and many customers had to turn back even if they wanted to visit. When the parking lot expands, it will be easier for people to come shopping, and more customers will stop by, even for a short while.”

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Mayor Park also visited Daehyeon Sanghoe, a “Star Small Business Owner” that manufactures sesame oil and perilla oil, which has been recognized as a model of growth through expanding online sales and increasing export performance.

Since being selected as a Star Small Business Owner in 2024, Daehyeon Sanghoe has achieved remarkable results, including completing a new factory, exporting for the first time to China and Singapore, and reaching annual sales of KRW 2.65 billion, demonstrating that traditional markets can compete in global markets.

Through the Star Small Business Owner Discovery and Development Project, Busan Metropolitan City continues to foster innovative small business owners with high growth potential and strengthen the overall competitiveness of commercial districts by providing intensive support such as marketing, market development, consulting, and other business assistance.

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Going forward, the city plans to continue implementing consumer promotion policies that citizens can directly experience, such as refund events, while systematically revitalizing traditional markets through parking environment improvements, modernization of facilities, and support for small business growth tailored to each market’s characteristics.

Mayor Park stated, “The completion of policies begins with the satisfaction of each individual citizen,” adding, “We will do our best to promote consumption, expand infrastructure, and support merchants so that traditional markets can become spaces citizens wish to visit more often in their daily lives.”