Kim In-ho, Chairman of Seoul Metropolitan Council, Visits Fire-Damaged Cheongnyangni Agricultural Market Site

Chairman Kim: "Chuseok Business Resumption and Compensation Should Be Promptly Supported to Prevent Merchants' Livelihood Disruption"... Seoul Metropolitan Council Leadership Listens to Affected Merchants' Difficulties and Seeks Future Measures and Related Legislation

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Kim In-ho, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, along with the council leadership, made an urgent visit at 2 p.m. on the 24th to the Cheongnyangni Fruit and Vegetable Market and traditional markets, which suffered extensive fire damage.

The visit was arranged to listen to the difficulties faced by merchants distressed by the unexpected damage and to discuss support measures on site.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council leadership first received a report from the Dongdaemun Fire Station Chief on the fire situation at Cheongnyangni Market, the extent of the damage, and future safety measures.

According to the Fire Station Chief, an unknown cause fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. on the 21st in a store within the market. The fire authorities issued a Level 2 fire response and deployed a large number of firefighting personnel (260 people and 89 pieces of equipment). There were no casualties, but due to rapid fire spread, 20 out of 218 stores were destroyed.

The fire authorities explained that the passageways around Cheongnyangni Market are very narrow and many stores are densely packed. Additionally, the market’s sandwich panel and corrugated iron roof structure were inevitably vulnerable to fire.

Next, the council leadership met with the president of the Cheongnyangni Fruit and Vegetable Market Merchants Association to hear detailed damage reports, merchants’ difficulties, and their demands.

President Dong Young-hwa of the Merchants Association said, “The property damage is considerable, so the merchants are feeling great despair,” adding, “Especially, only about half of the affected merchants had fire insurance, so help from the government and local authorities is absolutely necessary.”

Chairman Kim In-ho said, “As a local district council member, my heart is burning with concern,” and added, “Merchants who have endured hardships due to COVID-19 must have had high hopes for the Chuseok peak season, so it is natural for them to feel great despair.” He continued, “We are discussing ways to quickly help merchants regain their places and resume business without disruption to their lives. Currently, plans to provide alternative stores are being considered, and public compensation support is also under discussion, so please stay strong.”

Chairman Kim emphasized the importance of learning from this incident. He said, “It is urgent to have various measures to ensure the safety of traditional markets and support systems that guarantee merchants’ livelihoods during disasters,” and stressed, “The Seoul Metropolitan Council will prepare more precise and detailed ordinances.”

Present at the site visit were Chairman Kim In-ho, Vice Chairmen Kim Ki-duk and Kim Kwang-su, Planning and Economy Committee Chairman Chae In-mook, and Vice Chairman of the Environment and Water Resources Committee Song Jeong-bin, among others.