Worried About Chuseok Grocery Shopping? From Comparing Meat Prices to Buying Fresh Produce

Ministry Unveils Innovative Services for Savings and Convenience

"Revitalizing Traditional Markets and Local Businesses for Chuseok"

As Chuseok approaches, public services designed to reduce the burden of holiday grocery shopping have become more accessible in people's daily lives.

On September 20, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that it had selected three services that provide information on digital local currency and direct transactions for agricultural and livestock products as part of its “Allyeodream, Innovative Services – Chuseok Grocery Shopping Edition.” These services help reduce costs and enhance convenience in locations where holiday demand is concentrated, such as traditional markets, butcher shops, and local food outlets.

First, with the “Digital Onnuri Gift Certificate” and “Local Gift Certificate Chak” operated by Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corp. (KOMSCO), users can make easy mobile payments at traditional markets and local affiliate stores using digital, mobile-based gift certificates.

The digital Onnuri Gift Certificate, which integrates the previous mobile and card versions, can be used at affiliated stores nationwide and at online partner malls. The Local Gift Certificate Chak supports the purchase, recharge, and payment of local government-issued regional love gift certificates all through a single app. Users can link their account in their name, recharge their gift certificate, and then make payments via a credit or debit card connected to the app, or by using a QR code.

The response from citizens preparing for Chuseok grocery shopping has been positive. One shopper at a traditional market shared, "During the Chuseok discount period, I was able to save money by charging a 200,000 won gift certificate for just 180,000 won," adding, "It was convenient because I could use the same card as usual, so there was no need to carry a separate gift certificate or cash."

There is also a service to ease the burden of purchasing livestock products. The “YeogiGogi” platform operated by Korea Institute for Animal Products Quality Evaluation allows consumers to compare the prices of main livestock products—beef, pork, chicken, eggs—by sales type and by vendor. Using location information, it provides nearby butcher shops’ prices and discount information, whether agricultural and livestock product discount coupons can be used, and whether the shop holds the Handon or Hanwoo certification, helping facilitate more reasonable purchases. One user commented, "I was able to save both time and money because I could compare prices nearby at a glance without visiting multiple stores."

For consumers looking for fresh produce, the “Baroinfo” service by Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation is helpful. It provides information on the locations, operating hours, and contact details of local food outlets and direct produce markets nationwide, making it easy to find and purchase fresh produce from nearby locations. One shopper said, "Since it’s for my family, I pay close attention to freshness, and I was satisfied because I could purchase locally farmed products all in one place."

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety expects these innovative services will not only reduce the financial burden of holiday shopping but also revitalize traditional markets and local businesses. Noh Hongseok, policy chief at the Ministry, emphasized, "We will continue to actively identify and promote public services that provide tangible benefits in everyday life so that citizens do not miss out on opportunities simply because they are unaware of them."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.