72.8% of Respondents Support Revitalizing Mapo-gu Alley Commercial Areas... Hongdae Red Road Ranks 1st

June Mapo-gu Alley Commercial Area Revitalization Survey Shows 72.8% Positive... Hongdae Red Road Ranks First
Sales Growth Noted on Hongdae Red Road and Hapjeong-dong Sky Path... Positive Signs for Mapo-gu Alley Commercial Areas
District Chief Park Gang-su: "We Will Actively Develop Attractive Resources in Every Corner to Firmly Drive Mapo-gu's Local Economy"

From June 4 to 6, a three-day public opinion survey was conducted by the polling agency (Taegil Giyeon) targeting 800 Mapo-gu residents aged 18 and over. The survey on ‘Revitalization of Mapo-gu Alley Commercial Districts’ showed that 72.8% of respondents expressed a 'positive' view on the revitalization of Mapo-gu’s alley commercial districts.

Recently, with the continuation of high interest rates and high inflation, consumer sentiment has contracted, dealing a direct blow to local commercial districts. Last year, the number of individual business closures nationwide increased by more than 110,000 compared to the previous year, surpassing 900,000.

In response, Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) conducted the ‘Mapo-gu Alley Commercial District Revitalization Survey’ using weighted analysis by gender, age, and region, as well as frequency and cross-analysis, to communicate with residents and find ways to revitalize local commercial districts tailored to the district’s circumstances.

According to the survey results, among six items related to alley commercial district revitalization, 72.8% of respondents answered that the level of revitalization in Mapo-gu’s commercial districts was average or higher (13% very active, 27.2% somewhat active, 22.6% average).

The most revitalized alley commercial district in Mapo-gu was ‘Hongdae Red Road,’ overwhelmingly ranked first with more than half of respondents at 55.5%. This was followed by Hapjeong-dong Sky Road (16%), Yonggang-dong Pork Rib Shopping Street (11.1%), Dohwa-dong Galmaegisal Alley (9.1%), and Gongdeok Market Jokbal Alley (8.3%).

In fact, compared to before the creation of Hongdae Red Road, the sales of a leading K-beauty cosmetics company have increased by more than 400%. According to an S Card survey, Hongdae Red Road is the most visited area by people in their teens and twenties for weekend dining, demonstrating clear positive effects.

The ‘Sky Road,’ created this year by the district from Hapjeong Station Exit 7 to Mapo Saebit Cultural Forest with a unique sky-blue road, also recorded sales of 4.2 billion KRW in the fourth quarter of 2023, a more than 10% increase from 3.7 billion KRW in the third quarter, ranking first in sales growth among Seoul’s local brand commercial districts.

Additionally, the ‘Boom Festival’ held this year for famous food alley commercial districts such as Yonggang-dong and Dohwa-dong also received positive responses, with 52% of respondents saying it helped revitalize the commercial districts.

Furthermore, respondents most frequently suggested collaborative events with nearby merchants (37%) as a promotional method for Sky Road, and facility improvement support (24.8%) as the most necessary measure for revitalizing alley commercial districts. The most important business type for revitalization was identified as restaurants (53.9%).

Based on the survey results, the district plans to accelerate the revitalization of local alley commercial districts by identifying visitors’ needs and seeking effective support and promotional measures for commercial establishments.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, stated, “The positive responses to Hongdae Red Road and Hapjeong-dong Sky Road are being confirmed through various recent data,” adding, “We will continue to discover and utilize attractive local resources throughout Mapo-gu to make them a definite incentive that drives the local economy.”

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