Seoul City Improves Pedestrian Environment with 'Street Vendor Permit System'... Four Locations Including Dongdaemun Cheonggwanmul Market and Jongno 4-ga 추진

Announcement of Plan to Promote Street Vendor Permit System... Establishing Win-Win and Coexistence Measures for 'Citizens and Operators'
Improved Pedestrian Environment and Facility Enhancements... Completion of Street Vendor Zones in Yeongjung-ro, Cheonggyecheon, and Mangwon Station Areas Last Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government will actively promote the 'Street Vendor Permit System' project this year to ensure a safe walking environment for citizens and coexistence with street vendors. The city plans to improve pedestrian environments used in daily life by citizens, not limited to facility replacement but also by creating specialized streets.

On the 17th, Seoul announced this year's plan to promote the Street Vendor Permit System project to restore citizens' walking rights and protect the survival rights of street vendors. Since establishing the street vendor guidelines in 2018, the city has made significant efforts to improve the walking environment by renovating sidewalks and replacing sales facilities.

The current status of street vendor operations is on a declining trend due to poor sales caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic; however, permitted street vendors have slightly increased, achieving some success. As of last year, there were 5,762 street vendors, a 5.2% decrease compared to 2020. Meanwhile, permitted street vendors increased slightly by 212 locations (10.7%) compared to 2020.

Last year, Seoul also created a pedestrian-friendly street near Yeongdeungpo Market Station, known for congestion, and completed renovations and facility replacements in small-scale projects in areas such as Cheonggyecheon and Mangwon Station. The area was cleaned up, and visitors could use it more safely, turning it into a new attraction.

This year, the city will actively promote the Street Vendor Permit System project. First, it will create a specialized street in the Dongdaemun-gu fruit and vegetable market area and carry out a renovation project targeting about 40 unauthorized street vendors. Installation of street vendors, organization of merchandise, and sidewalk maintenance will be conducted simultaneously. The Dongdaemun-gu fruit and vegetable market area, located near Cheongnyangni Station subway, has a high number of tourists and visitors due to commercial districts such as the fruit and vegetable market, Yakryeong Market, and Gyeongdong Market food alleys. However, street vendors on the sidewalks have been scattered irregularly, causing inconvenience not only for passage but also for store use.

In addition, small-scale projects will continue. The Street Vendor Permit System project will expand to areas such as in front of Woori Bank at Jongno 4-ga (Jongno-gu), Ewha Womans University Station (Mapo-gu), and Siheung-daero (Gwanak-gu). In the future, the city plans to discover small-scale street vendor permit targets not only in unauthorized street vendor dense areas but also in residential areas to broaden the base. After completing the street vendor projects, a detailed survey will be conducted for a full investigation and used as policy data for efficient management.

Baek Ho, Director of Urban Transportation, said, "Through continuous communication and mutual consultation, Seoul's pedestrian paths are gradually becoming more walkable and desirable environments," and added, "I hope the Street Vendor Permit System project will become a representative coexistence model that satisfies many citizens."

After maintenance, Mangwon Station

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