How President Lee Jae-myung’s Market Visits Are Revitalizing South Korea’s Traditional Economy

Translation result

President Lee Jae-myung and his wife visit Namgwang Market(Seoul=Yonhap) President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung posed for photos with citizens at Namgwang Market in Dong-gu, Gwangju, on May 18, 2026. [Provided by the Blue House. Resale and database use prohibited] photo@yna.co.kr(Seoul=Yonhap) President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung posed for photos with citizens at Namgwang Market in Dong-gu, Gwangju, on May 18, 2026. [Provided by the Blue House. Resale and database use prohibited] photo@yna.co.kr

President Lee Jae-myung visited Andong Old Market in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, a day before Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s scheduled visit to South Korea, and greeted local residents. Ahn Gwi-ryeong, deputy spokesman for the Blue House (South Korea’s presidential office), said on May 18 that the president shook hands with residents, accepted requests for photos, spoke with people in the regional dialect, and personally sampled and purchased sundae (Korean blood sausage) and fruit. He later had dinner at a jjimdak restaurant inside the market and listened to vendors describe the market’s size and the state of local commerce. The Blue House said the visit allowed the president to hear directly from people on the ground ahead of Prime Minister Takaichi’s visit and to reaffirm his commitment to revitalizing traditional markets and the regional economy. #PresidentLee #Andong Yonhap News TV inquiries and tips: KakaoTalk/LINE jebo23 Jang Bo-kyung (jangbo@yna.co.kr)