Basic Report

The traditional market is the place that reflects the culture of local residents and theiremotions, so it performs various roles in social, cultural and economic aspects. In considerationof its role, the traditional market should be actively protected and promoted. The governmenthas been aware of the importance of the traditional market and has long considered thepromotion of traditional markets for repeat customers a governmental task. This study focusedon strategies for the improvement of this task through examining existing governmental policyfor the promotion of traditional markets and its outcome. In addition, this study propoundsan alternative to revitalize dilapidated regions through promotion of traditional markets.Traditional market customer surveys and merchant association interviews are included as partof this study.This study uses the phrase ‘to revitalize the region’, and here, the word ‘region’ shouldbe understood in the context of ‘local community’. Thus, local residents who are membersof the local community should play a leading part in regional revitalization, and the objectiveof regional revitalization should be promoting happiness for local residents. In this respect,regional revitalization should consider social, cultural and economic aspects, and ‘to revitalizethe region’ means, ‘revitalization of the local community’ along with ‘revitalization of thelocal culture’ and ‘revitalization of the local economy.’To promote traditional markets that can revitalize regions, marketplaces need to be regardedas places that contain human life. The traditional market has played an important role asthe central place of the local community, the local culture and the local economy.In this study, traditional markets were classified into two categories - urban or rural. Thispaper presents a case study of the Tongin market in Seoul and the Bongwha market in NorthGyeongsang Province. Based on a survey of the customers and local residents in thesemarkets, the people who intend to show visitors their traditional markets take more prideas local residents than people who have no intention of giving visitors a tour of their market.This study includes surveys in 24 categories dealing with how local residents recognizethe traditional market as regards local community, local culture and local economy.Consequently, the customers of the Tongin and the Bongwha markets had very strongexpectations that their traditional markets would be popular with visitors. These surveys showthat when these traditional markets were reported in the press and media, the satisfactionlevel of local residents was very high. Most of the respondents said that the more the localtraditional market develops, the more the region develops. And, most of the respondents saidthat all local residents have to cooperate to develop a traditional market.The most effective way to solve the problem of traditional markets is to make them evenmore traditional. In this aspect, not only the commercial functions, but the social and culturalfunctions of traditional market should be developed also. In other words, the traditional marketshould play a role as the community and cultural place for local residents. To visitors,traditional markets should be a place that represents regional characteristics of the area. Inorder to maintain many traditional markets, there needs to a cultural and human perspectivebrought to the fore. In conclusion, this study suggested three strategies for promoting andrevitalizing traditional markets. These three strategies are making place through consideringregional character, forming environments for creative local cultures and promoting eachcommunity’s local individual spirit. This study shows concrete ways to carry out thesestrategies.