Gwangjin-gu, All Street Vendors Around Gangbyeon Woosung Apartment Removed

Peaceful Removal of 19 Street Vendors Without Physical Conflict

Continuous Dialogue and Persuasion Lead to Street Vendors' Participation

Gwangjin-gu (District Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) conducted a large-scale cleanup of street vendors around Gangbyeon Woosung Apartment over two days on the 6th and 7th.

This area is a busy spot with Gangbyeon Station, Dongseoul Terminal, and the intercity bus transfer stop nearby, attracting a large floating population. The presence of street stalls operating as food carts had narrowed the road width, causing inconvenience to pedestrians, and this location had repeatedly received complaints requesting the removal of street vendors.

To address these complaints, the district notified street vendors in February to voluntarily clean up by June 30 and subsequently explained the urgency of removing the street stalls through individual meetings.

Initially, the operators strongly opposed the plan, but through continuous dialogue and persuasion, consent was eventually obtained from all 19 street vendors, allowing the removal to proceed.

The removal process took place under the watchful eyes of many residents. About 60 district office staff and related company employees were deployed on-site to carry out the removal work without any physical conflict.

On the first day, work focused on disconnecting electrical lines and disposing of waste generated from dismantling temporary facilities. On the second day, forklifts were used to clear remaining street vendor boxes and disorderly placed street planters, finishing with thorough cleaning.

Safety was prioritized around the site near Dongseoul Terminal and the intercity bus transfer stop. Safety personnel secured pedestrian pathways, and cleaning vehicles were deployed to promptly handle waste materials generated during dismantling. The area where the street stalls and the flower beds behind them were removed will be improved for pedestrian use and returned to the community. For livelihood-based street vendors, the district is considering introducing a permit system within a minimal scope.

A local resident, Mr. A, who frequently uses Gangbyeon Station, said, “This is the first time street vendors have been removed so peacefully without major commotion. After decades of unresolved street vendor removal issues, this resolution feels like a long-standing burden has been lifted and my mind is cleared,” expressing his happiness.

District Mayor Kim Kyung-ho stated, “Creating a safe and convenient pedestrian environment is a promise to residents that we will never compromise on. We will communicate thoroughly regarding street vendor issues and continue to steadily and persistently improve the situation, even if slowly.”

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