Maritime minister makes first visit to Seoul fish market

“I am popular because I have become so famous.”

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Yoon Jin-sook, who visited the Noryangjin Fish Market in southern Seoul Wednesday, replied so to a vendor who told her that he knew well about the minister. She was joking about controversies over her alleged incompetence as a minister due to her poor performance at her parliamentary confirmation hearings.

In her first official visit to a real-life site since she was sworn in two weeks ago, the minister put on red boots as soon as she arrived at the market at 5:30 a.m. and toured the place, exchanging greetings with venders.

As many vendors complained about their frustrations over slumping business, the minister said, “It is important to stabilize consumer prices. We are so sorry.” She purchased 2 kilograms of crabs for 65,000 won (58.85 U.S. dollars) in person. When the vendor asked why she bought them, the minister said, “I am going to cook them for myself.” However, she was short of cash and had to borrow some money from one of her aides to make the payment.

Yoon had a breakfast meeting with some of the vendors at a restaurant in the market, confidently explaining her ministry’s policy direction. As a merchant suggested that the ministry seek to stabilize the prices for fisheries products by stocking up reserves, she said that the taste of frozen fisheries products depend on thawing technology, stressing the importance of developing thawing technologies that would keep the taste intact.

Referring to the ongoing remodeling project for the market, Yoon said Noryangjin Fish Market would be turned into a "landmark of Seoul City" and a place for tourism and fun. “The ministry will make every effort to restore depleting marine resources,” she also said.

ryu@donga.com