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Although Kangnung has a few modest department stores, it retains its traditional small shops,
street vendors, and market stalls. One can find almost anything in these markets, from baskets of
dried anchovies and squid and blocks of tofu to appliances, household goods, and plumbing fixtures. In the photo above, a fish vendor in Kangnung's central market prepares an order of fish for a customer. The central market is a way of life that's threatened. Younger Koreans often prefer the one-stop convenience of the "supermarkets" (often closer to the size of a large American 7-11). Most of the vendors in the central market are now elderly women, and there seem to be few younger merchants interested in replacing them as they give up their places. In another ten or fifteen years, the old markets may be gone.
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