Gwangju Seo-gu Becomes First in Korea to Designate All Areas as Alley-Type Shopping Districts

"Revitalizing the Alley Economy
and Realizing a Community-Based, Mutually Beneficial Economy"

Seo-gu District in Gwangju (headed by Kim Ikang) has become the first in the nation to designate all areas within its jurisdiction as alley-type shopping districts, officially launching efforts to revitalize the alley economy and realize a community-based, mutually beneficial economy.

Kim Ikang, head of Gwangju Seo-gu Office, is shouting the slogan "Gwangju Seo-gu stands tall as Korea's number one alley economy!" together with attendees at the "Good City Seo-gu Korea Alley Economy Number One Declaration Ceremony" held on the 30th at the Seobitmaru Culture and Arts Center. Photo by Gwangju Seo-gu Office

On the 30th, Seo-gu announced at the Seobitmaru Culture and Arts Center that it had held the "Good City Seo-gu, Korea Alley Economy Number One Declaration Ceremony" and officially declared the completion of designating 100% of its 119 alley-type shopping districts across 18 neighborhoods.

The event was attended by Seo-gu District Head Kim Ikang, 119 merchant association leaders, Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijung, Park Jongchan, Head of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Small and Medium Venture Business Administration, Park Jinhee, Director of the Small Enterprise and Market Service, and about 300 other participants.

The declaration ceremony began with a media drum performance, followed by a promotional video highlighting changes in Seo-gu's alley commercial districts and stories from merchants, and a mini-musical performance by the theater group Kkakji, which showcased the progress of the "Alley Economy 119 Project." The event also featured a performance with the 119 merchant association leaders and a lighting ceremony with key guests and merchant representatives to announce the new beginning of the local economy both internally and externally.

This designation of alley-type shopping districts was promoted over approximately 100 days through the "Alley Economy 119 Project." Since March, Seo-gu has completed practical steps such as commercial area surveys, gathering merchant opinions, and adjusting the specific boundaries of commercial zones. By designating all neighborhood commercial areas as alley-type shopping districts, Seo-gu established a cooperative model between the public and private sectors.

With this designation, the use of Onnuri gift certificates has become possible throughout Seo-gu. Previously, the use of Onnuri gift certificates was limited mainly to traditional markets, but Seo-gu has expanded their use to a wide range of daily life businesses, including restaurants, hospitals, cafes, gas stations, hair salons, and private academies. Out of approximately 17,000 stores in Seo-gu, about 11,400 stores, excluding those in restricted business categories, are now eligible.

With the expanded designation of alley-type shopping districts, consumers are now enjoying discounts of up to 20%, and merchants have reported experiencing a 10-20% increase in sales recently.

One merchant association leader stated, "Since it became known that Onnuri gift certificates can now be used in our alley, there has been a noticeable increase in customers," adding, "The alley commercial district is regaining its vibrancy after a long time."

In his congratulatory remarks, Seo-gu District Head Kim Ikang said, "The designation of alley-type shopping districts in Seo-gu is not just an administrative achievement. It began with the urgent belief that 'the livelihood of the people depends on the vitality of the alleys' and the firm conviction that 'alleys are the root of the community.' In just 100 days, this has become a reality," he continued, "I will continue to work tirelessly so that the hope that has blossomed in Seo-gu can become a new model and a new future for Korea's livelihood economy."

Park Chan-dae, former floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said in a video congratulatory message, "President Lee Jaemyung's very first directive after taking office was to revive the alley economy and restore the people's livelihood. The model of Gwangju Seo-gu, which has implemented this national task quickly and is showing tangible results, will serve as an example for local governments nationwide, and the National Assembly will actively support it."

Starting with this declaration ceremony, Seo-gu will embark on follow-up measures to strengthen the implementation of policies centered on alley-type shopping districts. Beginning next month, the district will operate the "District Head's Alley On-site Office," where the district head will visit major alley-type shopping districts each week to listen to residents and merchants and address district issues. In addition, a "Alley Economy Situation Room" will be established in the district head's office to monitor the status of alley commercial districts in real time and build a data-driven policy decision and response system.

A Seo-gu official stated, "Alley-type shopping districts serve as an institutional safety net for merchants and provide benefits to consumers, forming a key infrastructure for the local economy. We will meticulously design follow-up policies so that the alley economy becomes the center of community recovery in the region."

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