Gyeongju City Renovates 12 Startup Stores on Geumridan-gil in Downtown... Expecting Commercial Area Revitalization

Gyeongju City announced on the 25th that it has completed the renewal of 12 stores within the central commercial district (Geumridan-gil) and has officially started operations.

Gyeongju City has completed remodeling and product development for five alley restaurants and seven alley workshops to revitalize the downtown area and provide a second chance for prospective entrepreneurs, and has launched the business.

Stores in the downtown commercial district renovated by Gyeongju City.

The alley restaurants established through this project include Le jour J (French cuisine), Byeon Juhee Kkondari Gimbap (snack food), A-Frame Express (mackerel sandwich), Basila’s Chocolate Story (confectionery), and Gyeongju Cherryju (traditional liquor experience and sales).

The alley workshops include Gajuk Sallim (leather crafting sales and experience), Kkotgil 93 (flower art experience and sales), Aroma Sup (functional cosmetics experience and sales), Saem Saem Easy (custom souvenir production and sales), The Grave & Childhood Songju Workshop (woodcraft and pottery production and sales), Namuwa Workshop (woodcraft production and sales), and Wood Canvas (woodcraft production and sales).

In particular, the alley workshop startups are expected to attract many visitors such as families, friends, or couples, as they offer both education and unique hands-on experiences and purchases.

Prior to this, Gyeongju City selected 18 teams in the first round through the Alleyway Management Project and then selected the final 12 teams through eight rounds of step-by-step training.

The 12 teams finally selected were provided with up to 20 million KRW in business funds and startup consulting benefits, including startup permits, design, marketing, interior, and product advancement.

A newly renovated downtown commercial store in Gyeongju City.

Mayor Ju Nak-young of Gyeongju said, “Recently, the number of young people choosing entrepreneurship over employment is increasing, and middle-aged entrepreneurs seeking to live a second life through startups are also on the rise. We will actively support startups in the central commercial district linked with local resources and focus administrative efforts on creating specialized alleys to attract visitors and revitalize the commercial district.”

Gyeongju City designated the central commercial district area as a commercial district revitalization zone in 2022 and is promoting the Central Commercial District Renaissance Project with a total budget of 8 billion KRW over five years until 2026.

This year, the city has made great efforts to revitalize the central commercial district by implementing various projects such as the Central Shopping District Companion Festival, Alley Night Market, Street Art Week, discovery of star stores, and the Alleyway Management Project.

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