There are students who went to the UK through the Humanities Finder Project during winter vacation. They learned about the importance of traditional markets while in the UK, and they were interviewed by the CBT to introduce traditional markets to encourage students to participate in cultural activities such as festivals and events held in traditional markets.
 
1. Please introduce yourself and your team.

  Hello, I’m Youn Jong-hyun, who went to the UK for exploring traditional markets. Our team is Yang Hong-ju, Yoon Won-joo, and Sim Hyun-jun. We are all majoring in English Language and Literature. The team name Sijanghasijo was derived from the word for traditional market. The purpose of our team is to revitalize traditional markets. Currently, traditional markets have gradually decreased due to the emergence of large markets, and some traditional markets have even disappeared. The government has a big problem regarding traditional markets, and it is implementing various policies to correct the problem. However, it’s not a fundamental solution; it only has short-term effects. Therefore, our team visited the famous traditional markets in the UK to find out how to overcome the emergence of larger markets, and we learned a way to keep the traditional markets
 
2. Please explain why you were chosen for the project.

  Humanities Finder is a project that anyone in the College of Humanities can participate in as long as they have good ideas and plans. Our team was worried about the disappearance of our traditional markets, so we wanted to explore a good example of other countries’ traditional markets to solve this problem. We had a bit of trouble adapting to the time difference while we were working on the project, but we were grateful that both the merchants and the guests were kind enough to answer our questions.
 
3. Tell me about your feelings about the UK

  One of the things I noticed when I visited the traditional markets was that traditional markets in the UK did not succeed in one day. The four major markets in the UK, there are all dedicated to creating distinctive markets. These traditional markets evolved by quickly identifying changes in the demands of consumers after the advent of large markets and Internet shopping malls. When I went to the Borough Market, I realized that the market was highly trusted by the consumers in the freshness and hygiene of its products due to their specializing in the sale of organic agricultural products. In the Covent Garden Market, I was able to experience a variety of street performances and arts. When I visited the Portobello Market, I thought it was a great place that attracted consumers’ attention with its colorful pastel-colored buildings and long, narrow streets, which distinguished it from other markets. In Brick Lane Market, patrons can see a street full of graffiti. The shops there mainly sell antiques and vintage goods.Traditional markets in the UK create branded images, moods, features, and contents by utilizing market-specific features and colors. Therefore, it was impressive that the UK traditional markets differentiated themselves from other markets.

4. Do you have a most memorable experience?

  The most memorable thing was an interview with CEO Kim Sang-hee. She said that a marketplace is not only a place to buy or sell things but a space for interaction among the city residents. We tend to think of a market as a space for buying things. However, I heard that people in the UK often go to a traditional market to meet their friends or take a short walk. I think the biggest difference between traditional markets in Korea and the UK is people’s perceptions. Koreans think the market is just a place to buy and sell things.

5. Please tell us anything you would like to convey to students regarding traditional markets.

  What I felt while exploring the traditional markets in the UK is that traditional markets are very stable. Unfortunately, Korean traditional markets are getting smaller. I don’t think students can solve this problem fundamentally. However, I think we can create change if we show more interest. The biggest asset that the traditional markets in the UK have been able to maintain is the active interest of local residents. If students representing the younger generation become more interested in the traditional markets, I think that would be the first step in promoting traditional markets.

By Jung Jun-hoe
jh38@cbnu.ac.kr