• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.133-150
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• 1996

This study is to clarify the market cycle of travelling merchants and the spatial behavior of consumer's commodity purchasing. its reasons and purchasing region of each commodity in Chongsan of Chongsan Myun(village) periodic markets, that is one of the lowest central places in Okchon county. The data used are the results of interviews with 58 travelling merchants on June 22 and July 17, 1994, and questionaire survey taken to parents of students of Chongsan middle school of Chongsan Myun in Okchon county. Study area is typical agricultural regions taking the role of central places to provide rural service and is comparatively important periodic markets. Some of findings are summarized as follows: (1) Until 1980's. appearance of closed periodic markets is caused by the population decrease in rural region, income increase, and rising of living level according to the Five Years Planning of Economic Development, appearance of chain stores of agricultural co-coperative and of supermarkets,. changes in distribution mechanisim by increasing consignment volume of agricultural products through agricultural co-coperative, and the development of transportation in Okchon county. These, too, became the reasons for the decline of the Chongsan periodic markets in Okchon county. (2) Most of the travelling merchants visiting the Chongsan periodic markets are in their 50's of age, and they sell the miscellaneous commodities and agricultural products. And about one-fourths of travelling merchants reside in regions with periodic markets and in Okchon of higher order central places. (3) Travelling routes visting periodic markets can be simplified to five types. Major types of travelling routes are Chongsan periodic market$\rightarrow$Wonnam$\rightarrow$Boun, and Chongsan periodic market$\rightarrow$Yungdong$\rightarrow$Yongsan. The patterns of travelling merchants visiting periodic markets are classified into the type of everyday visiting of periodic markets over three days of five days from merchant's residence to market, and the type of merchants or consumers visiting one day's of five days. On days that travelling merchants don't visit periodic markets they purchase the commodities in Seoul, Taejon and Chongju. (4) Consumers who use periodic markets are from thirties to fifties years of age and most of them are employed in agriculture. Consumers visit periodic markets on foot or by bus, and visit two or three times in a month, and mainly purchase the commodities for one or two hours from about ten o'clock in the morning. (5) Consumers purchase the necessaries of life in periodic markets, and other commodities are purchased in Taejon city, Youngdong, and Boun Eup(town). But consumers purchase the goods(convenience goods, shopping goods, and specialied goods) largerly in Chongsan, because additional expense and disadvantage after service with poor transportation service for purchased goods in others regions. Therefore, the hierarchies of central places by the consumer's purchasing behaviour can not be seem in dewellers in Chongsan and Chongseong Myun.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.341-357
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• 2006

Recently new periodic markets formed in large apartment areas where consumers live. Before, in the case of peasant periodic markets travelling merchants, consumers and producers met in specific places on decided dates. Closing time of apartment's new periodic markets is later than that of peasant periodic markets, and the number of travelling merchants is fewer than that of peasant periodic markets. The average number of apartment and household for a new periodic market is about ten and 920 respectively, and if neighboring apartment household are included, the number is larger. Apartment's new periodic markets in Cheongju city is included in Daejeon market area. The types of regional trip of travelling merchants can be divided into one round trip of two or three neighboring dongs and larger sphere of more than 4 dongs. The larger sphere round trip consists of one type combining the southeastern, southern and southwestern regions, and the other type combining southeastern and southwestern regions. About 85 percent of travelling merchants visit the periodic market 5 days in a week; about 12 percent of travelling merchants choose to visit on Saturday; only 2 percent of travelling merchants visit 4 days in a week.