[Friday Story] No More Subsidies or Customers... Shoe Repair Shops Closing Down

Seoul Area Commercial Facilities Down 39% Compared to 10 Years Ago
Support Funds for Non-Self-Employed Also 'Meager'
"It's Hard to Earn Even 30,000 Won a Day"

On the 25th, Obokil (68) is repairing shoes at a cobbler shop next to Mapo Police Station in Seoul.
Photo by Oh Kyumin moh011@

"In the past, I used to enjoy chatting with regular customers while shining their shoes, but now there’s none of that."

A (62) who has run a shoe repair shop near Gongdeok Station in Mapo-gu, Seoul for 30 years feels the times have changed. People now prefer sneakers over dress shoes and rarely polish their shoes even when attending formal events. A sighed, "Times have changed, the economy is bad, and I’m just running the shop because I have no choice."

Shoe repair shops and other sidewalk business facilities (facilities operating with road occupancy permits) once known as "community rooms on the street" are disappearing. This is due to the fading trend of "suits + dress shoes," fewer customers because of COVID-19, and the lack of compensation for losses.

Reporting on the Gongdeok-dong and Ahyeon-dong areas found that out of seven sidewalk business facilities, two were not operating. Among them, a shoe repair shop near Ahyeon Elementary School was listed as operating in the Mapo District Office’s facility status on the 8th, but the building box itself had disappeared. There were three shoe repair shops operating near Gongdeok Station, but they also expressed difficulties.

Kim Jong-ok (74), who runs a shoe repair shop in front of Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station, said only one customer came around 1:20 p.m. Kim said, "I’ve been open since 9 a.m., and this is the first customer today," adding, "I don’t even make 1 million won a month now."

On the 24th, shoe repair shops in the Ahyeon-dong area of Mapo-gu, Seoul, are not operating.
Photo by Oh Gyumin moh011@

According to Seoul City, the number of facilities has decreased by about 39% compared to 10 years ago. Shoe repair shops have decreased by 30.3%, and street vending stands (selling lottery tickets, newspapers, etc.) have dropped to 47.8%, with only half still operating.

These businesses have not properly received COVID-19-related support for self-employed workers. This is because many operate only with road occupancy permits instead of business registration. Ahn (70), who has run a shoe repair shop for 40 years, said, "It’s hard to make even 30,000 won a day, and since I’m not registered as a self-employed business, I only received 500,000 won once last year and that was it," expressing regret, "I’m even struggling to pay basic taxes like road occupancy fees."

Local governments maintain a stance of not providing support. Those who have not received aid are expected to face closure. A Mapo District Office official said, "There was tax relief and other support for them last year," but added, "No support measures have been decided for them this year." The district office plans to sell and demolish facilities abandoned on sidewalks due to operational abandonment as managed by Seoul City.

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