Food, culture, and night tourism combine to energize traditional markets and downtown districts.
The Yukgeori Night Market, held at Yukgeori General Market, one of Cheongju’s major traditional markets, has proven to be an effective driver of night tourism while also revitalizing local commercial districts.
According to Cheongju City Office, the night market was held a total of 26 times from June to December last year in cooperation with the Cheongju Urban Regeneration Foundation and the Yukgeori Night Market Project Group. During this period, approximately 160,000 visitors attended the events, generating about KRW 2.02 billion in total sales.
The market was designed to combine the unique atmosphere of a traditional market with food stalls, cultural performances, and night-time tourism experiences. Around 40 teams, including mobile food vendors, street stalls, and flea market booths, participated, offering affordable food and a wide range of activities that appealed to visitors of all ages.
Prior to full-scale operation, the night market was tested through a pilot program held six times between June 13 and 28. During the pilot period alone, about 54,000 people visited, confirming strong public interest and demand for night market events.
Based on issues identified during the pilot phase, including crowd congestion, limited dining space, and inconvenient walking routes, the city shifted to seasonal, theme-based operations. Improvements included expanding mobile vendor areas, adjusting the number and placement of food trucks, and creating new dining and street-stall zones to improve overall visitor comfort.
Season 1, titled “Again Yukgeori Night Market,” began in September and attracted around 27,000 visitors, generating KRW 440 million in sales. Season 2, held from October to November under the theme “Beer and Ramen Festa,” drew about 53,000 visitors and recorded approximately KRW 600 million in sales through its unique food-focused concept.
Season 3, the “Yukgeori Street Bar Festa,” took place in December and continued to draw strong interest by offering a year-end street stall atmosphere, welcoming around 26,000 visitors through the final events.
Building on the positive results from 2025, the city plans to entrust operation of the night market to the Cheongju Urban Regeneration Foundation starting in 2026, with the goal of establishing a more stable and professional management system. This approach is expected to strengthen the independence of the project group while spreading economic vitality across the traditional market and the wider downtown area.
City officials said the Yukgeori Night Market has demonstrated new possibilities for traditional markets facing economic slowdowns and changing consumer trends, adding that the city will continue to develop it into a flagship night-time event created jointly by citizens and merchants.
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Source: Cheongju City Office© Korea.info