The Small Enterprise and Market Service (SEMAS) moved to prevent a recurrence of price gouging and hygiene problems in traditional markets.
SEMAS said on the 19th that Vice President An Tae-yong visited the Korea Merchant Association in Jung-gu, Seoul, to ask for cooperation to increase the transparency of product prices in traditional markets and improve hygiene standards.
Recently, controversies over price gouging and poor hygiene management have been raised one after another in some traditional markets and shopping streets, fueling consumer complaints. SEMAS sees a need to restore customer trust and improve the market's image and is strengthening on-site inspections and preventive activities.
SEMAS is promoting education and campaigns for merchant associations and related groups to eradicate price gouging, provide courteous service, and manage food hygiene. It is also carrying out awareness-raising activities to create a market environment where consumers can visit with confidence.
Following March, it again sent an official letter titled "request for cooperation to enhance customer trust in traditional markets and shopping streets" to the Korea Merchant Association and traditional market merchant associations. It also informed them that if problems recur, there could be disadvantages such as point deductions during the selection process for government support programs.
Vice President An asked the Korea Merchant Association to play a central role in creating a "safe traditional market that customers can trust and visit."
Lee Chung-hwan, head of the Korea Merchant Association, said, "We will disseminate the relevant information to the heads of city and provincial chapters nationwide and affiliated merchants, and work to strengthen self-management to establish a sound market culture and enhance customer trust."