Why Did Public Hanok Closures for 165 Days Due to COVID-19 at Bukchon Hanok Village and Others Lead to a 32% Increase in Promotion Costs?

Nosikrae Seoul City Councilor Points Out "Policy Promotion Contraction Also a Problem, Promotion Budget Execution Effectiveness Must Be Considered"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Due to COVID-19, Seoul's public hanok houses were closed for a total of 165 days this year, while the number of days they were open as usual by the end of September was only 109 days.

Nevertheless, it was revealed that the promotional budget for Bukchon Hanok Village increased by 39.8% compared to the previous year, with 81.2 million KRW spent.

According to the "Status of Seoul Public Hanok Closures Due to COVID-19" submitted by the Hanok Architecture Assets Division of Seoul City to Assemblyman Noh Sik-rae (Democratic Party, Yongsan 2), the public hanoks in Seoul were closed three times this year: 69 days due to the escalation of COVID-19 to a serious level on February 27, 53 days due to strengthened quarantine measures in the metropolitan area on May 30, and 43 days due to the upgrade to social distancing level 2 on August 16, totaling 165 days of closure.

On the other hand, as of the end of September, the number of days the public hanoks were open as usual was only 109 days, meaning that on average, Seoul's public hanoks were open 3 days a week and closed 4 days a week this year.

Seoul currently operates 31 public hanoks as traditional workshops, cultural facilities, community facilities, rental housing, etc. Among these, 25 are located in Bukchon, 5 on the west side of Gyeongbokgung Palace, and 1 in Eunpyeong.

However, the Hanok Architecture Assets Division produced 2,000 umbrellas, 1,000 tumblers, and 200 clocks with a budget of 81.2 million KRW this year to promote Bukchon Hanok Village.

The 81.2 million KRW promotional budget for Bukchon Hanok Village this year represents a 39.8% increase compared to 58.09 million KRW last year.

Regarding this, Assemblyman Noh Sik-rae stated, "During the periods when public hanoks were closed due to COVID-19, it would have been advisable to refrain from visiting Bukchon Hanok Village, but the budget was mechanically executed without considering the changed circumstances," and urged, "Before spending on promotion, reconsider the effectiveness of the budget execution."

On the other hand, the overall promotional budget execution for the Urban Regeneration Office decreased by 32.2% to 398.23 million KRW compared to 587.43 million KRW in 2019. Only the cost of regularly published newsletters was maintained at the usual level, while promotional expenses related to events and production of policy promotional materials sharply declined.

Assemblyman Noh Sik-rae added, "Although some aspects are inevitable due to COVID-19, excessive contraction in policy promotion is also problematic," and requested, "Please make careful efforts so that the promotional budget can be executed in a way that actively provides helpful information to citizens and encourages voluntary participation through guidance."