Seongbuk-gu 'Samyang-ro Gireum Youth Startup Street Development' Sees the Light

Illegal Harmful Business Cluster Area Samyang-ro Transformed into Gireum Youth Startup Street

Among 37 Businesses, Over 20 Encouraged to Close, Supporting 7 Youth Startup Stores

Seongbuk-gu’s ‘Samyang-ro Maintenance and Gireum Youth Startup Street Creation’ Wins Excellence Award at the ‘2022 Local Government Policy Awards’

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) received positive evaluations for its policy ‘Samyang-ro Maintenance and Gireum Youth Startup Street Creation,’ which transformed a street densely populated with illegal harmful businesses into a youth startup street.

The ‘Local Government Policy Awards,’ hosted by the Korea Local Government Association, is an award established to discover and honor excellent policies independently implemented by local governments over the past three years that have significantly contributed to regional development and serve as exemplary cases for other local governments, promoting nationwide dissemination.

Samyang-ro was a representative street densely populated with illegal harmful businesses and was shunned by residents. Since the beginning of the 7th local government administration, Seongbuk-gu formed a task force (TF) involving administration, residents, and police to conduct continuous crackdowns and made various efforts to change Samyang-ro. As a result, from 2018 to February 2023, over 20 out of a total of 37 harmful businesses in the Samyang-ro area were encouraged to close.

In addition, reflecting the regional characteristics of having the highest number of universities nationwide (8) and many youths residing and active in the area, Seongbuk-gu also made efforts to transform Samyang-ro, which residents had avoided, into ‘Gireum Youth Startup Street,’ where young people can freely challenge themselves and pursue their dreams. Utilizing vacant stores left by closed illegal harmful businesses, youth startups were supported, and a total of 7 youth stores have opened.

Along with this, through the establishment and operation of the youth hub space ‘Gil:Eum’ providing specialized startup consulting, the startup experimental space ‘Gongeopsa,’ and hosting the street market ‘Dugeundugeun Byeolgil Market’ where local shops and residents participate together, the street has been gradually transformed into a place where youth can challenge themselves and nurture their dreams, and where culture breathes.

Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, stated, “The transformation of Samyang-ro, once shunned by residents, into a youthful street where people want to stay and challenge themselves, was made possible thanks to the dedicated efforts of Seongbuk-gu public officials, residents who participated in enforcement alongside the administration, and the active cooperation of related organizations, resulting in winning the Excellence Award at the Local Government Policy Awards.” He added, “We will continue to discover and implement policies for a better life for Seongbuk residents.”

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