Seongdong-gu Lowers Rent Rates for Public Safety Commercial Spaces

Amendment and Promulgation of 18 Livelihood Ordinances Including Support for Household Care Services for Pregnant Women

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) will promulgate 18 local ordinances closely related to residents' daily lives in areas such as economy, childcare, and welfare on May 19, including the reduction of rental rates for public safe shopping districts and support for housekeeping care services for pregnant women.

First, to establish administrative and financial support grounds to prevent gentrification (displacement), the 'Ordinance on the Management of Public Property and Goods' was amended to lower the rental rate so that the rent of the public safe shopping district 'Seongdong Safe Shopping District' can maintain the existing low rental level.

The Seongsu-dong area, where the Seongdong Safe Shopping District is located, has recently experienced rapid development, causing the official land price to rise. Under the previous rental rate (25/1000), it was impossible to maintain a rent level at 50-70% of the surrounding market rent, so the rental rate was lowered to (10/1000).

Established in 2018 as part of the district's gentrification prevention policy, the Seongdong Safe Shopping District supports tenants, small business owners, and young entrepreneurs who were driven out by rising rents by providing long-term leases of 5 to 10 years at rents lower than the surrounding market prices, allowing them to operate their businesses with peace of mind.

This amendment aims to create a stable business environment for such public safe shopping districts and to protect the local commercial area.

The ordinance was also amended to support housekeeping care services for pregnant women in the area, providing four sessions of four hours each per day. This is to actively respond to social issues caused by declining birth rates and to create a healthy childbirth environment by establishing grounds for providing housekeeping care services to pregnant women. From the date of promulgation, pregnant women residing in Seongdong-gu for more than six months can receive free housekeeping services with a housekeeper dispatched for four hours a day, four times.

With the amendment of the 'Ordinance on the Installation and Management of Parking Lots,' additional beneficiaries of public parking fee reductions were added. In addition to the existing beneficiaries, independence patriots, bereaved families of persons of merit, disabled veterans and their families can receive an 80% discount on parking fees, and veterans eligible for compensation can receive a 50% discount.

Furthermore, the eligibility for using the Seongdong-gu public enshrinement facility, 'Seongdong-gu Memorial House,' was expanded. Besides residents registered in the district, spouses and siblings of the residents are now included, and the extended usage fee was reduced to alleviate the residents' burden. For more details, contact the Senior and Disabled Welfare Division of Seongdong-gu Office (☏ 2286-5424) or the Hyowon Family Park Foundation (☏ 1800-2325).

A district official stated, "The revised ordinances this time support the stable promotion of major district policies that have been stagnant due to the COVID-19 aftermath, focusing especially on improving inconveniences in residents' lives who are experiencing psychological and economic difficulties." He added, "We also plan to enact the 'Active Administration Operation Ordinance' to foster a public service atmosphere that leads proactive work processing and improvement of unreasonable regulations for the public interest."

Seongdong-gu Mayor Jung Won-oh said, "We will continue to improve unreasonable local regulations and systems to enhance the quality of life by addressing inconveniences closely related to residents' daily lives."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.