Seoul subway stations turn into farmers markets selling regional produce
Summary
Five Seoul subway stations will host the Seoro Itda Local Market through Nov. 28, selling regional farm products at prices up to 30 percent below retail. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is running the market with five local governments, and farmers will sell directly to shoppers. Preview sales take place Monday and Tuesday at Gwanghwamun Station, followed by rotating markets at four stations near residential areas starting Nov. 16. The city plans to expand the markets to other residential spaces after the pilot.
Key Facts
- The five participating local governments are Ganghwa County, Hongcheon County, Gongju, Uiseong County and Cheongsong County.
- The preview market features 14 farms from all five regions at Gwanghwamun Station on Seoul Metro Line 5.
- Guui Station on Line 2 will sell Ganghwa products, including salted fermented shrimp, rice and turnips.
- Miasageori Station on Line 4 will feature Gongju chestnuts and Hongcheon waxy corn and ginseng on alternating days.
- From Nov. 23 to 28, Hapjeong Station will offer Uiseong garlic and Shine Muscat grapes, while Achasan Station will sell Cheongsong apples and apple juice.
A venue for the Seoro Itda Local Market, which runs at five Seoul subway stations through Nov. 28. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Five Seoul subway stations will host farmers markets through Nov. 28, where people can buy regional farm products at prices up to 30 percent below retail, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday.
The pop-up market, named Seoro Itda Local Market, is run with five local governments: Ganghwa County in Incheon, Hongcheon County in Gangwon Province, the city of Gongju in South Chungcheong Province and Uiseong and Cheongsong counties in North Gyeongsang Province. In the name, “seoro” combines the first letters of Seoul and “local” and also means “each other” in Korean. “Itda” means “to connect” and plays on the English word “eat.”
The market is linked to Seoul Pick, a program run by Seoul Metro, the city’s subway operator, that turns unused space in stations into pop-up shops for regional farmers. Because farmers sell directly to shoppers, the middlemen are cut out, which lets them offer lower prices.
A preview market with 14 farms from all five regions runs Monday and Tuesday at Gwanghwamun Station on Seoul Metro Line 5. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and the heads of the five local governments are scheduled to attend an opening ceremony there at 5 p.m. Monday.
Regular markets will then rotate through four stations near residential areas starting Nov. 16. Guui Station on Line 2 will sell Ganghwa products, including "saeujeot," or salted fermented shrimp, along with rice and turnips.
Miasageori Station on Line 4 will feature Gongju chestnuts and Hongcheon waxy corn and ginseng on alternating days. From Nov. 23–28, Hapjeong Station on Lines 2 and 6 will offer Uiseong garlic and Shine Muscat grapes, while Achasan Station on Line 5 will sell Cheongsong apples and apple juice.
The city said it plans to expand such markets to other spaces in residential areas after the pilot run.
“By transforming everyday subway stations into local markets, we have created a space for mutual benefit and cooperation that lets Seoul residents buy fresh seasonal produce on their commute home while opening new sales channels for regional suppliers,” said Kwak Jong-bin, director general of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Administrative Bureau. “Building on this pilot program, we will work to bring these local markets into more neighborhoods across Seoul.”
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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