Gmarket rolls out Chuseok gift sets for expats

By Nam Hyun-woo

Gmarket released special Chuseok holiday gift sets for foreigners living in Korea, in a bid to target more than 1.7 million foreign residents residing in the country, the online retailer said Wednesday.

According to Gmarket, its online mall for expats, Gmarket Global Shop, is offering Hansoowe gift sets, including items ranging from food and ginseng products to vitamins and daily commodities. The gift sets will be available until Sept. 8.

Along with the gift sets, the mall is providing 10 percent discounts on CJ CheilJedang products.

“As the number of foreign residents grows, the number of customers using Gmarket Global Shop is increasing,” said Lee Eun-young, Gmarket's global business head.

Gmarket Global Shop opened its English page in 2006 and Chinese page in 2013 to help foreign residents access Korean products online. The mall is compatible with multiple payment services, including PayPal and Alipay which are popular outside Korea but relatively less used in the country.

Gmarket said rice products are showing the most popularity at the mall, and the demand for halal certified foods is increasing, as the number of Muslims in the country stands at 130,000 currently and continues to grow.

This year's four-day Chuseok holiday starts Sept. 12.