Jung-gu, Myeongdong, and Other Tourist Areas Roll Up Sleeves to Eradicate Overcharging Fees

Jung-gu Meets with Myeongdong Special District Council on the 7th to Discuss Current Issues and Countermeasures for Myeongdong Commercial Area

Agreed to Promote Price Tag System to Prevent Overcharging, Strengthen Supervision on Disorder and Hygiene Management

District to Urge Joint Crackdown with Seoul City, Myeongdong Special District Council, and Myeongdong Merchants Association, and Encourage Merchants’ Voluntary Efforts

Jung-gu District Office in Seoul (Mayor Kim Gil-seong) recently held a meeting with the Myeongdong Special District Council on the 7th to find improvement measures and agreed to strengthen supervision regarding the ongoing issue of overcharging on Myeongdong streets.

The district will form a task force together with the Myeongdong Special District Council and the Myeongdong Merchants Association to conduct crackdowns in July on violations such as street vendors’ operating hours, disorder and hygiene management, and illegal storage activities in the Myeongdong area.

If violations are confirmed, administrative actions will be taken, and service improvement education and campaigns will be conducted simultaneously to help merchants recognize the problems themselves and voluntarily establish countermeasures.

Regarding price inflation (overcharging), the district plans to promote and manage a price tag system so that consumers can recognize the selling prices in advance.

In addition, in cooperation with Seoul City, the district will thoroughly review overall current issues to ensure that the rapidly increasing number of domestic and international tourists after the end of COVID-19 can visit safely. These issues include ▲ overcharging in cosmetic stores, general restaurants, taxis, etc., ▲ illegal lodging businesses, ▲ trademark law violations, ▲ poor cleaning around street vendors, ▲ hygiene management of restaurants to prevent food poisoning, and ▲ gentrification caused by rising commercial rents.

The district plans to establish long-term measures for the sustainable development of the Myeongdong commercial area together with the Myeongdong Tourism Special District Council and the Myeongdong Merchants Association, so that this crackdown will not be a one-time event.

Kim Gil-seong, Mayor of Jung-gu, said, “We will continuously check tourists’ inconveniences through dialogue and consultation with merchants so that Myeongdong can become a ‘tourist destination that visitors want to return to.’”

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