Market day

By Michael P. Downey

It's jangnal or market day at the Tokpung market in Hanam. The market is an itinerant market and vendors from all around come to set out their wares every five days. In Hanam, market day is on days with either a 4 or a 9 that is 4, 9, 14, 19, etcetera.

As a long time Hanam resident, the market is one of my favorite places. Since I live only a stone's throw away, I've spent many happy and interesting hours there. Whenever I have visitors from abroad, I make sure they get a tour of the market. "This is the taste of the real Korea" I let them know.

This afternoon I'm sitting in an outdoor cafe, drinking my ice coffee, and watching the people go by. The next shop over the guys are enjoying the new Korean national food; fried chicken and draft beer. It looks like a weekend baseball team. In front of me, ajumma has bins of all kinds of grains, beans, and seeds. She also has half a dozen large plastic bags stuffed with different sized dried red hot peppers.

She is busy grinding some grain into a powder with a pestle for a customer. Across the way a variety of seaweed is for sale. Some of it is in gift boxes. On the way in, I stopped at three other stands selling seaweed. I asked and was told which region, island, or sea each variety was from. Imagine knowing that. I used to think that the only purpose for seaweed was to foul the prop on my boat.

The market is also filled with seafood, fresh, frozen or dried. Packed to go or sliced for immediate consumption with your favorite beverage at tables and stools set up outside. For the serious shopper there are clothes for the whole family, shoes, hats, blankets, pillows and fans for the coming summer heat. Makeup, bags, backpacks, cellphone cases and live fish are all on display for your shopping pleasure. Jewelry, clocks, rubber boots, traditional Korean side dishes and sauces are also for sale. The diversity of stuff is staggering.

It is 82 degrees Fahrenheit on a Saturday afternoon and the market is busy and loud. It is ideal for one of my favorite activities: people watching. There is no lack of subjects to be observed. Old folks, young people, and families stroll by. Of course this is not Gangnam and there is no, or very little, high fashion on display. These are everyday folks, salt of the earth.

On a weekday evening, Hanam being a commuter town, would be sure to have more people attired for the office but today there is a preponderance of T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers. If I sit here long enough I might even see a white guy wander by, but there's no guarantee. More likely any non-Koreans are going to be Southeast Asians. The folks look for all the world like Koreans in their infinite variety. And they look like they belong here in this market.

The fun of people watching for me is to imagine who the random passersby might be. Often it is fairly simple; like the guys in the ball uniforms. Other times it takes more imagination. Those two ladies carrying the large size spring onions I guess are sisters.

There is a family of three generations, the youngest in a stroller being pushed by her dad. Next up is a grandma carrying a toddler on her back in the traditional abuba style. Nowadays must young couples use expensive strollers. But wait, close behind is a mid-30s couple with mom leading a preschool girl by the hand and dad is carrying a toddler on his back. What's up with that? I could sit here for hours being passively entertained.

Funny thing is, today the huge discount box store Costco opened only three miles away. Can't tell for sure but I don't think it has cut into the foot traffic here. Last month on the 19th it was surely market day but when I passed by everything was shut down. Not a single shop or stand was open. I was confused. In my 19 years here I've never seen the market closed on a 4 or 9 day.

I checked my phone calendar several times and each time I concluded that it was, in fact, market day. Eventually I saw the sign announcing the demonstration strike against Costco. The market association was protesting the opening of the international behemoth in the city that would damage their livelihood. Well I can understand that and was relieved that five days later the market opened on schedule.

The issue of the huge faceless corporate entity strangling the local and or mom and pop businesses is nothing new. I love the market and would hate to see it go. But what level of government protection is warranted in a free market democratic country. Once the government sees the need to give special treatment to one class over all others in the interest of fairness, the free market suffers. Who in fact is to decide what is fair? What institutions are so important that they deserve protection?

Most people I have talked to in Hanam are excited about the new Costco. The only ones protesting are those who perceive it as a threat to themselves. After thinking about it for awhile it occurred to me that the market association is taking the wrong approach to this challenge. What they ought to do is to think in terms of promoting a rebranded market.

Let's face it, going toe to toe with Costco over market share is a losing proposition. The traditional market can never compete with Costco. It doesn't need to. People are attracted to a Costco for the up-to-date products with the lowest prices. The traditional market can't do that.

But the market can offer and do things that Costco can't. The traditional market is where I can see, touch, taste, and smell the heritage of Korea from many decades past. This is the identity that the market ought to endeavor to adopt. Foreigners visiting Korea often want to see a more authentic Korea. Where else but in the traditional market? In addition, the future generations of Koreans need to see such a place to have an inkling of their past and who they are today.

Instead of wasting time protesting Costco, the market association could be actively promoting this powerful brand identity; Come see, touch, taste, and smell the authentic Korea!

There will always be a market day!

Michael P. Downey (mpdowney308@gmail.com) is an author and teacher living in South Korea. In his free time he is a human rights activist primarily working with refugees from North Korea. As a volunteer English teacher and speech coach (with Teach North Korean Refugees) he is endeavoring to give them a voice by assisting them in telling their stories.