Dongdaemun-gu, Making Every Effort to Revive Traditional Markets Affected by COVID-19

160 Billion KRW Invested in Traditional Market Improvements Including Districts, Rain and Sunshades, Customer Centers... From Environmental and Management Enhancements to Safety Management... Systematic Investment to Revitalize Traditional Markets

Yoo Deok-yeol, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, is conducting COVID-19 prevention measures at a traditional market in Dongdaemun-gu.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor You Deok-yeol) will continue to promote the modernization of traditional market facilities and management this year as well.

Dongdaemun-gu has a total of 20 traditional markets with 3,140 stores (1,148 stores in 8 building-type registered markets and 1,992 stores in 12 alley-type recognized markets). In particular, 10 markets including Seoul Yakryeongsi and Gyeongdong Market are concentrated around Jegi-dong and Cheongnyangni-dong areas.

The district is actively promoting the traditional market revitalization project by dividing it into three areas: facility modernization, management modernization, and safety management.

First, the focus is on the facility modernization project. Since 2003 until last year, about 28 billion KRW has been spent. The district has promoted facility modernization projects such as installing 6 rain and sun shades (6.4 billion KRW), renovating 2 restrooms (200 million KRW), and establishing 2 customer centers (1.4 billion KRW), and will continue these projects this year.

This year, projects such as installing rain and sun shades, customer centers, integrated broadcasting systems, and CCTV will be carried out. With an investment of 5.8 billion KRW, rain and sun shades will be installed in 6 markets including Gyeongdong Market and Cheongnyangni Fruit and Vegetable Market around Wangsanno 33-gil. With an investment of 10 billion KRW, pedestrian paths will be secured and goods stacking prevented in markets around Jegi-dong, transforming them into consumer-centered traditional markets.

Additionally, convenience facilities such as pedestrian environment improvements, expansion of public restrooms, and evaporative cooling devices will be newly installed to enhance the convenience for visitors to traditional markets.

Management modernization projects such as grocery delivery service, market voucher program, and traditional market manager program will also continue.

Since its start in 2011, the grocery delivery service supports operations such as short-distance direct delivery, joint parcel service, and phone orders. The market voucher program and traditional market manager program hire and assign professionals to merchants’ associations in 8 traditional markets with weak administrative capacity, activating collaboration between city, district, and traditional markets and improving work efficiency.

Safety management projects for the safety of merchants and residents using the markets are also underway. To prevent fires, 1.6 billion KRW will be invested in 6 markets for aged wiring replacement, piping work, and replacement of lights and outlets within individual stores. An IoT-based fire alarm installation project will detect changes in flames, smoke, and temperature, and immediately notify the fire station 119 control room and merchants via smartphone apps or text messages.

You Deok-yeol, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, stated, “Through facility and management modernization and safety management projects, we will induce economic revitalization of our local traditional markets. We will continue to do our best to create innovative traditional markets so that customers of various age groups can use them.”

Last year, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection, the district disinfected all stores in traditional markets, distributed hand sanitizers and masks, organized autonomous disinfection teams for traditional markets to enable self-disinfection, and supported each market with disinfectant solution, disinfection equipment, protective suits, and gloves.

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