Business Opens at Ansim Shopping Center in Majang Food Alley After 30 Years of Illegal Occupation

Businesses in Majang-dong Food Alley Affected by Fire Relocate to Seongdong Safety Shopping Center Majang Cheonggye Branch Nearby... Rent Set at 65% of Market Rate with 5-Year Lease... Current Site to Be Developed into Library and Park for Residents' Convenience

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jung Won-oh) is relocating the businesses in the Majang-dong food alley that were affected by a fire to a safe commercial complex, which will officially open on November 1.

In March of last year, a large-scale fire broke out in the Majang-dong food alley. The alley, densely packed with unauthorized buildings, was always at risk of fire. The fire started from the electrical facilities of a business located in the middle of the alley. The fire caused by an electrical short circuit quickly spread to the adjacent business connected by sandwich panels, burning 11 out of 33 businesses.

The food alley was established around the time of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. During the redevelopment process to clear the cattle slaughterhouse area in Majang-dong, the government, led by Seoul City, relocated businesses near Cheonggyecheon to the current Majang-dong 437 Il-dae-ro in Seongdong-gu. In this process, unauthorized buildings gradually appeared, leading to the current Majang-dong food alley.

After the fire, due to aging facilities and safety concerns in the food alley area, local residents demanded the regulation of unauthorized businesses, while the food alley merchants resisted, asserting the legitimacy of the relocation process and their right to livelihood.

Seongdong-gu sought alternative commercial spaces near the Majang Livestock Market as a way for residents and food alley merchants to coexist without physical conflict, but could not find suitable replacement spaces.

Accordingly, they have been in continuous discussions with Seoul City for over a year to utilize the ‘Majang Cheonggye Platform 525,’ a city-owned facility built as an urban regeneration hub and completed in March 2022, which had remained vacant, as the alternative commercial complex. As a result, after a series of administrative procedures including decommissioning, the facility was finally purchased and the relocation registration was completed in August of this year.

Majang Cheonggye Platform 525 has now been transformed into Seongdong-gu’s safe commercial complex. Starting this November, 11 restaurants will relocate to the safe complex and begin operations. The rent is set at 65% of the surrounding market rate, with a 5-year contract renewable thereafter. Seongdong-gu plans to secure space for the remaining stores and those unable to relocate immediately by expanding the safe commercial complex and facilitating their move. Once the food alley is completely relocated, the current site will be developed into community convenience facilities such as a library and park.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, “The redevelopment of the Majang food alley will serve as a good example of peacefully relocating businesses that have operated for over 35 years by illegally occupying public land, by securing alternative commercial spaces.” He added, “We will actively support the merchants relocating to the new complex to settle in quickly, regain their former reputation, and coexist with the Majang Livestock Market.”

Last March, a large-scale fire broke out in the Majang-dong food alley.

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