Paju City Injects New Vitality into Local Commercial Areas by Easing Alley-Type Shopping District Criteria

Revised Ordinance Takes Effect on April 23

Full-Scale Promotion of Alley-Type Shopping Districts Begins

Paju City in Gyeonggi Province has partially revised the “Ordinance on the Promotion of Traditional Markets and Shopping Districts in Paju City” to ease the criteria for designating alley-type shopping districts. The revision was promulgated and went into effect on April 23, 2026.

Aerial view of Paju City Hall. Provided by Paju City

An alley-type shopping district is designated based on the number of small business stores within a certain area (within 2,000㎡). This system aims to foster solidarity among merchants and revitalize local commercial areas through participation in the Onnuri Gift Certificate network and various business district support programs.

Reflecting the structural limitations of non-commercial areas, the city has introduced differentiated standards: commercial areas will continue to require at least 20 stores, while the threshold for non-commercial areas has been eased to 15 stores or more.

There have been ongoing concerns that non-commercial areas, which often feature low-rise stores spread out across the district, have faced difficulties meeting the store count requirement despite having established commercial zones. This has posed limitations on the application of the system.

Paju City expects that by easing these requirements, the revised standards will now include community-based business districts that had previously been excluded. The city also anticipates positive effects on stimulating consumption and strengthening the competitiveness of local commercial areas through expanded designation of alley-type shopping districts.

Additionally, since merchant associations in these districts are still in the early stages of organization, the city plans to expand various forms of support, such as participation in public projects, as the foundation for business district growth is further strengthened.

A Paju City official stated, “The significance of this ordinance revision lies in lowering the institutional barriers by reflecting feedback from the field,” adding, “We will continue to promote the designation and development of alley-type shopping districts to further revitalize local commercial areas.”

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