Chilgok-gun takes local farm products to Lotte Department Store pop-up through Aug. 20

North Gyeongsang Province's Chilgok-gun is making a push into the premium retail market with its locally grown agricultural and specialty products.

The county is running a pop-up store at a special exhibition space on the second below-ground floor of Lotte Department Store's Daegu branch from Aug. 14 through Aug. 20, according to Chilgok-gun officials.

The event follows an MOU signed in April among Chilgok-gun, Lotte Department Store and the North Gyeongsang Province Small Business Cooperative to build a premium retail platform for Chilgok agricultural and specialty products.

Eleven local farms are taking part in the pop-up, displaying signature Chilgok products including honey and rice, as well as domestically produced tofu, shiitake mushrooms and a range of processed goods.

Chilgok-gun plans to use the pop-up as a testing ground to gauge the products' potential for permanent placement in the department store and to measure consumer response.

The county will analyze sales results and consumer feedback to identify competitive products, then expand distribution through premium product lineups and online sales channels to secure stable markets for local farmers.

"Producing good agricultural products is only half the equation — where and how you sell them matters just as much," county chief Kim Jae-wook said. "We will use this pop-up as a springboard to open up distribution channels so that Chilgok's agricultural and specialty products can reach department stores, online platforms and other diverse markets."