The Korea Forest Service's National Natural Recreation Forest Management Office runs community direct-trade markets at major resorts, offering everything from dried persimmons to seasoned seaweed with no retail commission
A series of community direct-trade markets offering locally sourced specialties is coming to major national natural recreation forests across the country.
The Korea Forest Service's National Natural Recreation Forest Management Office announced Thursday it would operate "community co-prosperity direct-trade markets" at select resorts to promote mutual development with local communities and provide visitors with fresh, clean food.
The markets are distinguished by their tailored product lineups, featuring forest, agricultural and marine products that reflect the character of each resort's surrounding region.
Representative offerings include dried persimmons, shiitake mushrooms and mushroom pesto from Cheongdo at Unmunsan Recreation Forest; Jindo turmeric, seasoned intestine-style seaweed and dried kelp and sea mustard from Jindo at Jindo Recreation Forest; Bonghwa apples, omija berries and free-range eggs at Cheongoksan Recreation Forest; Pocheon grapes at Unaksan Recreation Forest; and glutinous barley and black rice at Byeonsan Recreation Forest.
Resorts including Bangjangsan, Baegunsan, Oseosan, Micheongol and Tongosan recreation forests will also sell sweet potatoes, chestnuts, perilla oil and seasonal vegetables grown directly by local residents — all at reasonable prices with no retail commission.
The direct-trade markets have drawn strong responses from both sides: they give local residents who had struggled to find sales channels a real opportunity to boost their income, while offering resort visitors a chance to buy fresh, clean produce at affordable prices.
However, the items available and the market schedule vary by resort depending on the harvest season for each forest, agricultural and marine product and on individual resort conditions, so visitors are encouraged to treat any encounter with local specialties as a pleasant, unexpected bonus during a forest getaway.
Kim Il-suk, director of the National Natural Recreation Forest Management Office, said the office would "continue to expand meaningful community co-prosperity projects so that national natural recreation forests can go beyond being simple rest spaces and become genuine hubs of local cooperation that provide real help to residents."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
