A KOREAN food market stall owner has changed business ventures after closing during the lockdown.

Sean Son Hyo Jin, from Bury, ran the Korean Grub Club at Blackburn Market for a year before closing when the coronavirus pandemic started.

After briefly opening again when the lockdown lifted, he has shut down his stall, he says due to the high rents and not being able to operate successfully after being hit by the lockdown.

But there is hope still for the fledgling operator as Mr Jin now has a trailer and hopes to take his culinary skills to festivals when they start up again, touring the country with his Korean street-food.

He said: “Blackburn is still a nice place and I have always wanted to sell Korean food.

“For me, I think everybody has struggled and it’s very bad for everyone.

“The food industry has been hit badly by the pandemic.

"I was at home for a long time and could not do anything.

“Even though the market reopened, people are scared of going out because of the virus.”

Mr Jin started out with just selling the Korean pancake hotteok before venturing into lunch dishes like noodles, kimchi fried rice, and seaweed snacks.

He said: “At the moment I cannot think of going back because it is still not over and I think this will go on for a long time yet.

“The plan is I am going to attend food festivals when they are open and want to trade there with my trailer.”

Mr Jin plans to attend the Levy Market in Manchester as well as many others across Lancashire and the north west.

Mr Jin is one of many people now left without a job as businesses close down.

The market had placed tables in front of the Korean Grub Club before the lockdown, giving Mr Jin some more trade. But since reopening, the seating areas have all been lifted.

But Mr Jin has also received a lot of support from customers.

He said: “I have got a lot of messages from customers in Blackburn who are sorry to see me go and I feel sorry too.

“I had quite a few loyal customers and they understand why I had to close and wished me well.

“I did not realise also how many people are into K-pop, but one girl came to me and said she wanted to do events for the band BTS and I could serve them my food, things like this are what I want to work on now.”

In his spare-time, he has taken up teaching Korean on YouTube and hopes that his loyal customers will stay with him for his new ventures.