Gijang County Designates Gijang Market Area with 80 Years of Tradition as Autonomous Commercial Zone

Autonomous Commercial Zone Expanded to 39,237㎡, 5.6 Times Larger

Foundation Laid for Revitalization of Gijang Market and Nearby Business Districts

Gijang-gun (Governor Jeong Jongbok) announced on the 27th that the area around Gijang Market has recently been officially designated as a Self-Regulated Commercial District by the Busan Metropolitan City Long-Term Safe Commercial District Committee (Regional Commercial District Committee).

With this designation, the recognized area of the traditional market has expanded from the previous 6,976㎡ to 39,237㎡ as a Self-Regulated Commercial District, increasing the area by 5.6 times.

In addition, stores within the district will be eligible for special benefits as Onnuri Gift Certificate affiliates, and during the Chuseok holiday period from September 9 to 15, customers who purchase domestically produced seafood will be able to participate in an event to receive a refund of up to 20,000 KRW per person in Onnuri Gift Certificates, depending on the purchase amount.

Notably, with the establishment of a 'Mid- to Long-Term Development Plan for the Self-Regulated Commercial District,' it has become possible to fully implement the 'Commercial District Revitalization Project,' which provides up to 10 billion KRW in support over five years.

The county, with Local by Local Co., Ltd., the main agency of the Neighborhood Commercial District Development Center, and the Gijang Market Area Self-Regulated Commercial District Association as the core, plans to complete a five-year commercial district strategy for the Gijang Market area within this year and apply for next year's 'Commercial District Revitalization Project.'

Until now, the Gijang Market area consisted of the traditional Gijang Market, nearby building-type shopping centers, individual shop-type stores, and street vendors. The recognized scope of the traditional market was narrow compared to the actual commercial district, leading to conflicts with neighboring commercial districts and difficulties in promoting revitalization projects.

To resolve these structural issues, the county collected opinions from merchants in the traditional market and surrounding commercial districts through a Gijang Market development plan task meeting and a roundtable discussion in December last year. In addition, the County Policy Advisory Committee has been continuously discussing the 'Modernization and Revitalization Plan for Gijang Market Facilities.'

In February this year, a research service for 'Coexistence and Revitalization of Traditional Markets and Neighboring Commercial Districts' was commissioned, conducting a survey on the current status and management conditions of the commercial district and seeking specific measures to expand the recognized scope of the traditional market, thus taking proactive steps toward designating the Self-Regulated Commercial District.

Subsequently, in April, the 'Neighborhood Commercial District Development Center Support Project' was selected as a public project by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and in May, the 'Preparatory Committee for the Establishment of the Gijang Market Area Self-Regulated Commercial District Association' was launched. In July, the association was established and systematically prepared for the designation, resulting in the final designation of the Gijang Market area as a Self-Regulated Commercial District.

Kim Dongchan, Chairman of the Gijang Market Area Self-Regulated Commercial District Association, stated, "By obtaining the consent of more than two-thirds of landowners, lessors, and merchants, and concluding a mutual cooperation agreement, the merchants of Gijang Market and the surrounding commercial districts united to achieve this result. We will continue to create an attractive commercial district where people can experience the diverse values of the Gijang area, coexisting and developing together with the community."

Jeong Jongbok, Governor of Gijang-gun, emphasized, "This designation as a Self-Regulated Commercial District is the greatest achievement for Gijang Market, the representative traditional market of East Busan with an 80-year history. With this, the actual recognized area of Gijang Market has been expanded, laying the foundation for its sustainable development." He added, "We will actively support the expansion of revitalization projects to invigorate the local commercial district."

Meanwhile, the Self-Regulated Commercial District system is designed to provide systematic support for declining old downtown commercial districts and is based on the 'Act on Coexistence and Revitalization of Regional Commercial Districts.'

Designation requirements include having at least 100 retail and service stores, a continuous decrease in the number of businesses and population, and more than 50% of the area being commercial. Self-Regulated Commercial Districts are eligible for support such as Onnuri Gift Certificate affiliation, special provisions for installing parking lots, special provisions for commercial lease contracts, and modernization of commercial infrastructure.

Gijang Market, designated as an "Autonomous Commercial Zone."

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