Tour the market with a friendly guide
Seodong Miro Market is gearing up to launch a special tour program featuring murals, performances and fun activities. College students and exchange students snap pictures at the market.
In November, Seodong Miro Market in Geumjeong-gu hosted a trial event targeting a team of foreign exchange students, bloggers and travel experts. Participants enjoyed food, performances and various experiential programs accompanied by a guide who offered detailed explanations. The tour will eventually provide vouchers for things to eat, see, enjoy and experience.
The Seodong Miro Market promotional team signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hana Tour in a bid to develop tourism products for the traditional market, after which Seodong Miro Market Coupons were born.
Before the coupons are rolled out next year, the market invited a group of more than 20 people consisting of travel experts, professional bloggers and foreign exchange students.
These lucky guests were guided by a market docent to tour the venue, check out the murals and hear the docent's stories. They also sampled food cooked on the spot and tried their hand at making eco-friendly bags and pottery.
Seodong Miro Market was launched last year as a culture and tourism-style market by combining three traditional markets in Seodong - considered a disadvantaged area.
In line with its name - miro means "beautiful road" in Korean - every alley is covered with artwork, and local and foreign artists offer up their wares and impromptu performances.
Since then, the market has continued to ramp up its tourist appeal.
Market tours and coupons will be available starting from March.
The market also plans to expand its PR channels through mobile apps.
"It was an unusual and intriguing experience because the venue isn't a well-known tourist site," said one local who participated in the tour. "As I looked around the market after hearing the stories and history behind it, the tour seemed even more interesting. I hope it catches on so more people can experience the charms of Korea's traditional markets."
A market associate said, "We plan to expand items that can be bought with the coupons and add more experiential programs like calligraphy. We're trying hard to develop products that can appeal to a number of tourists."
-How to get there: Go out exit 1 of Seodong Station on Metro line No. 4 and walk about 10 minutes. Or take bus Nos. 29, 148 or 155 and get off at Seo-sam (3) Chian Center.
-Information: www.sdmiro.net (Korean only)
Copyright 2015, 'Dynamic Busan' all rights reserved.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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