The Secret of the 5-Day Market

The 'oiljang' (5-day market), commonly seen in traditional local markets. Why is it held every '5 days' instead of every 3 or 7 days? The secret lies in the 'travel distance' of the 'Bobusang' (traditional Korean peddlers) during the Joseon Dynasty. At that time, the distance a Bobusang could walk in a day while carrying their load was about 30-40 km (100 'li'). It took exactly 5 days to finish trading at one market, travel to the next, and set up shop again. The interval between market days across the country was set to 5 days to allow Bobusang to continuously trade while circulating nationwide. Looking back, the cycle of the 5-day markets we visit today was essentially a perfect distribution system created by the footsteps of Joseon Bobusang walking 100 li.