GKL partners with traditional markets to mark Chuseok holiday
Grand Korea Leisure (GKL) headquarters in Seoul / Courtesy of GKL
Grand Korea Leisure (GKL), the state-run operator of the foreigner-only Seven Luck casino brand, is teaming up with traditional market merchants ahead of Chuseok, Korea's harvest holiday, on a joint marketing campaign aimed at drawing foreign tourists and boosting local businesses, the company said.
From Sept. 22-26, GKL will hold the "K-Traditional Market Dessert Festa" at its Seven Luck Casino Gangnam Coex branch, introducing foreign visitors to the food culture of Korea's traditional markets.
About 10 stalls from the Yeongdong Traditional Market merchants association in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul's Gangnam District, will serve visitors Korean snacks including rice cakes, sweet and crispy fried chicken, twisted doughnuts and steamed buns.
The event will also give away 200 sets of hand-pressed, domestically produced sesame oil.
GKL President Yoon Doo-hyun said the event aims to boost tourist satisfaction and support the local economy by giving foreign visitors to Seven Luck an unusual chance to experience Korean traditional snacks.
The event follows a visit by employees from GKL's Seoul Dragon City branch to Yongsan District's Yongmun Market on Wednesday, where they donated counterfeit bill detectors and firefighting equipment and provided training on spotting counterfeit Onnuri gift certificates — a voucher widely used at Korean traditional markets — as well as emergency firefighting response.
GKL described the visit as part of its efforts to fulfill its social responsibility as a state-run company working toward shared growth with local communities.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.