"Only One Complex Mall Allowed in Gwangju"... Distribution Regulation Emerges as a Key Issue in the General Election

Kang Eun-mi "Only One Complex Shopping Mall in Gwangju to be Promoted"
Union Opposes Mandatory Closure Pledge for Large Supermarkets

As the 22nd National Assembly general election scheduled for next month approaches, distribution regulations such as mandatory closure of large supermarkets and restrictions on the opening of complex shopping malls have emerged as key issues.

According to the distribution industry on the 14th, Kang Eun-mi, a Green Justice Party lawmaker (proportional representation) running in Seo-gu Eul, Gwangju, announced a pledge the day before to limit the number of complex shopping malls in Gwangju to one and to implement commercial district impact assessments led by self-employed business owners. At a press conference announcing her candidacy in January, Kang also presented three principles for allowing complex shopping malls to enter Gwangju: seeking win-win cooperation plans discussed with small and medium-sized merchants, local incorporation, and social consensus for creating quality jobs.

Kang promised to establish a system limiting the opening of one complex shopping mall per one million population and to have local self-employed business owners and local governments jointly conduct commercial district impact assessments when large-scale stores open.

Currently, in Gwangju, Gwangju Shinsegae Department Store expansion, The Hyundai Gwangju, and Grand Starfield Gwangju are all promoting the construction of complex shopping malls. All three are accelerating construction by purchasing sites for relocation and new establishment. All three aim for completion after 2028.

The Daejeon-Sejong-Chungcheong Headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Mart Union held a press conference on the 12th in front of the office of Yoon Chang-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, regarding Yoon's pledge to switch mandatory store closures to weekdays.

In Daejeon, the mandatory closure regulation for large supermarkets has become an issue. Yoon Chang-hyun, a People Power Party lawmaker running in Dong-gu, Daejeon, recently pledged as his first campaign promise to change the mandatory closure day of large supermarkets to weekdays. Yoon, head of the People Power Party’s Economic Policy Development Team, said, "If large supermarkets operate on Sundays throughout the year, convenience for dual-income couples, single-person households, working moms, and working dads who find it difficult to shop after work on weekday evenings will increase, and it will help revitalize surrounding commercial districts."

However, there was immediate backlash against Yoon’s pledge. On the 12th, the Mart Labor Union Daejeon-Sejong-Chungcheong Headquarters held a press conference in front of Yoon’s office in Dong-gu, Daejeon, urging the withdrawal of the pledge to change mandatory closure days to weekdays.

The Mart Labor Union stated, "Abolishing mandatory closure on public holidays is not for the people's livelihood but only to benefit large distribution corporations," and added, "In the case of mart workers in Cheongju, where mandatory closure days were changed to weekdays, dissatisfaction with work-life balance increased, and job stress recovery scores worsened," delivering a protest letter to Yoon’s office. Mandatory weekday closures of large supermarkets are expected to become a controversial issue in this general election. In Seoul, Seocho-gu and Dongdaemun-gu have switched mandatory closure days to weekdays, and in Busan, the transition is underway aiming for May this year.

The distribution industry is concerned that regulatory reforms ahead of the election may become mired in political controversy. A distribution industry official said, "During elections, political debates often overshadow consumer benefit improvements," adding, "With the entire distribution industry in recession, distribution closely related to citizens’ daily lives could become a target of the political sphere, so we are closely monitoring the situation."

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