The bazaar was also intended to unite members of the University of Seoul (UOS) and to help neighbors and students in need by donating a certain percentage of profits to college development funds. In addition, products remaining after the sale were given to the Sharing Center. Each college had a booth, along with a group of international students from the Institute of International Cooperation and Education (IICE), retailers from Gangwon-do, and businesses and concessioners associated with the UOS. Students and citizens purchased goods and enjoyed the bazaar.

This year’s bazaar was more significant than in prior years, particularly due to the retailers from Gangwon-do who sold high-quality agro-fishery products at bargain prices. Other events encouraged a cheerful atmosphere including live performances of two Central Clubs, Korean traditional percussion ensemble Eolssigu and the classical orchestra club Cantabile, and attention-grabbing services such as nail art and caricature.

There were some downsides to this event, however. A retailer from Gangwon-do said, “Selling goods in the university, where students outnumber local citizens, led to limits on advertising and attracting more buyers. There are not many customers buying our products.” In addition, some participants from the UOS expressed unhappiness about the event. They complained that they did not have much time to prepare and were ordered by superiors to host the booths with short notice. Despite these drawbacks, the bazaar seems to have succeeded in offering opportunities to buy fine goods at moderate prices.

By Hye-joon Suh