Traditional markets in Korea have increasingly become an invaluable tool to bolster the tourism industry.

More tour programs for foreign travelers include a traditional market on their itinerary in an attempt to allow them a glimpse of unedited Korean culture and typical daily life.

The government and merchants have taken advantage of the change in getting rid of long-standings at many traditional markets that were once littered with trash and discredited for the sale of fresh produce kept in unsanitary conditions at unfixed prices.

Behind the achievement is the Agency for Traditional Market Administration (ATMA). It was established in 2005 under the support of Small and Medium Business Administration and is committed to reinvigorating traditional markets and transform them into a tourism magnet projecting the “spirit of traditional Korean culture,” according to a release.

Jung Suk-youn, director-general of ATMA, said his organization is responsible for establishing an environment where visiting traditional markets becomes a core part of inbound tourism.

“Markets are not a place where people just sell and buy products. It’s a place where the various faces of Korean society coexist,” Jung told The Korea Times at his office in downtown Seoul, Monday. “The core reason for travelling is to see and experience a different culture. I believe no other places are better than traditional market to see real face of the country.”

ATMA will host a variety of events at traditional markets in Seoul, Busan, and Sokcho for foreign residents and those in Korea on vacation ahead of the Chuseok holiday (the traditional harvest festival), which falls on Sept. 30.

Participants will take a market tour and with the help of Korean advisors buy ingredients for a cooking class to make traditional Korean food eaten during the Chuseok celebration. Other special activities will include learning how to perform “charye” (an ancestral ritual), a traditional “samulnori” Korean percussion performance, and shop with discount coupons offered by the agency.

“This is a proactive campaign to lure foreign travelers (to markets) and promote our culture,” Jung said. “We still have long way to go. But I’m certain that this small step will create more and more followers and they will eventually make a big stride in improving the value of markets as a tourism asset.”

On top of this, the agency runs a website (www.sijang.or.kr) that contains in-depth information about Korean traditional market. The website is available in English, Chinese and Japanese. In addition, it provides information on the specialties of each market and things to see and do around each one to fuel foreigners’ interest.

“The accessibility of traditional markets was indeed low despite their high value in the aspect of cultural tourism and keen interest of foreigners due to the language barrier,” Jung said. "The website will help foreign tourists take one step closer to traditional markets, and we will continuously upgrade its content that can promote the charm of traditional Korean markets.”

The agency has recently turned to social networking services to promote the nation’s traditional markets worldwide by starting a Facebook page. It also has a smartphone app, available for download via the website.

The Korea Tourism Organization recently joined forces with ATMA by publishing a traditional market guidebook for Chinese tourists in the latest in a series of efforts to revitalize visits to traditional markets in Seoul.

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