[Reporter’s Notebook] Local Government Heads Playing Politics Behind Local Merchants

Sojin-gong's Relocation Triggers Fierce Opposition from Local Merchants
Political Leaders Escalate the Dispute, Turning a Community Issue into a Political Battle

'Stop the immediate relocation of Sojin-gong that revived the local economy! The local commercial district will all die!'

This is the phrase on the banner hanging in front of the Small Enterprise and Market Service (Sojin-gong) under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. When it was announced in mid-last month that Sojin-gong was planning to move from Daerim Building in Daeheung-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon, 15 km away to Yuseong-gu, nearby merchants put up the banner. They argued that if about 430 Sojin-gong employees who used five floors of this building leave, the surrounding commercial district including restaurants, convenience stores, and pubs would be hit. The merchants organized the 'Sojin-gong Relocation Resistance Committee' and held rallies in front of the building where Sojin-gong is located, shouting "Park Seong-hyo, Sojin-gong Director, resign!"

On the morning of the 22nd of last month, a banner opposing the relocation of the Small Enterprise and Market Service to Yuseong was hung near Jung-gu Office in Daehung-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

So far, this is a local community issue. However, this issue has escalated into a 'political fight involving local government heads.' Since the end of last month, the current mayor of Daejeon, the vice mayor, the district mayor in charge, and the former mayor of Daejeon who is the director of Sojin-gong have exchanged sharp criticisms. The Jung-gu district mayor visited Director Park to protest and attended the merchants' street rally. In response, Director Park held a press conference expressing displeasure, saying, "We are not leaving Daejeon, so why are you holding us back with criticism and pressure?" Hearing this, Mayor Lee Jang-woo of Daejeon visited the Daejeon City Hall press room on the 7th and harshly criticized, calling him "a terrible person" and the move "a thief relocation." The vice mayor of Daejeon City unexpectedly demanded an apology from Minister Oh Young-joo, saying, "The Ministry of SMEs and Startups is neglecting Sojin-gong's relocation."

A Sojin-gong employee said, "We are struggling even with insufficient restrooms in a building over 30 years old, so we are surprised by the opposition to the relocation." According to Sojin-gong's own survey, over 80% of employees want to relocate. In the new building, the workspace per person will greatly increase, allowing work in a comfortable environment, while the deposit and annual lease management fees will be reduced by 500 million KRW and 350 million KRW respectively. Sojin-gong plans to use the savings to improve employee welfare.

Local merchants may oppose the departure of Sojin-gong, a major customer. However, Sojin-gong's work is to promote projects for small business owners nationwide, not to revitalize the local commercial district where its headquarters is located. Therefore, Daejeon City should not prevent Sojin-gong from seeking a better working environment. The duty of local government heads and regional politicians is not to engage in a political fight with harsh language but to satisfy both the companies in their jurisdiction seeking better workplaces and the merchants hoping for local economic revitalization.

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