The century old market place gains popularity as more foreign tourists visit the market which still preserves the traditional market stalls dated back to Chosun Dynasty standing firmly in Jongro area dealing with a range of products.

Seoul, Korea ¶ July 11, 2012--Korean tourism has expanded quickly from old castle tours into cultural ones on the back of growing popularity of Korean Wave or Hallyu, which brought many foreigners into new tourist attractions like Gwangjang Market. The century old market place still preserves the traditional market stalls dated back to Chosun Dynasty standing firmly in Jongro area dealing with a range of products from Custom-tailored hanbok, lacquer ware, kitchen utensils, bronze ware for ancestral rites, and the famous bindaetteok or simply known as “Korean Pizza.”

In an effort to jump on the bandwagon, Korea Tourism Organization struck a deal with the Market on May 3^rd to publicize it globally with the strong support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

It had also invited a score of travel agents from Japan, China, US, and Europe to see whether the tour project of the traditional market is feasible.

Those participants highly rated the unique eateries and shopping experiences, saying Korea’s unique friendliness and the humor are pretty impressive. Thanks to the positive feedback from the travel agencies, the first group of tourists from New York will visit the market this afternoon followed by others from China and Japan.

KTO plans to expand the tour programs into other parts of Korea as the Gwangjang Market tour project unfolds, contributing to boost local economy.