Seongdong-gu Seongsu Urban Regeneration Residents' Cooperative 'Seongsu Jiaeng' Selected as Seoul City Urban Regeneration Enterprise

Chocolate Sales, Cafe and Community Space Operation... 40% Profit Reinvested Locally, Job Creation for Gyeongdannyeo... A Model Case of Resident-Led Sustainable Urban Regeneration After Public Support Ends

Handmade chocolates sold by Seongsu Ji-aeng

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) resident cooperative ‘Seongsu Ji-aeng’ of Seongsu Urban Regeneration is starting a new chapter in resident-led urban regeneration enterprises by being selected in the ‘2020 Seoul Urban Regeneration Enterprise Contest.’

‘Seongsu Ji-aeng’ is a cooperative formed in 2018 by 12 residents who were members of a resident council established in 2014 for the Seongsu Urban Regeneration Activation Project.

Inspired by the word ‘Parisian,’ it means ‘people of Seongsu-dong.’

As of December 2020, 110 members participate in the cooperative, which is a community-centered enterprise aimed at maintaining the sustainability of urban regeneration projects carried out by Seongdong-gu and achieving long-term urban regeneration led by residents themselves.

Since its establishment, it has produced and sold handmade shoe-shaped chocolates, a traditional industry of Seongsu-dong, and since April this year, it has been operating a community space where all generations communicate, including a village caf?, children’s block room, and shared kitchen at the Sharing and Sharing Center. Forty percent of the profits earned through this are saved as a village fund and reinvested in projects needed by the village.

Additionally, from December, it took over and operates the caf? within the ‘Seongdong Regional Economic Innovation Center’ near Ttukseom Station as ‘Seongsu Ji-aeng Caf? Branch No. 2,’ continuously promoting gradual business expansion and job creation.

Lee Jung-soo, CEO of Seongsu Ji-aeng, said, “Eighty percent of the cooperative members running the business are housewives whose careers were interrupted due to marriage and childcare,” adding, “Seongsu Ji-aeng prioritizes supporting career-interrupted women’s social advancement to create local jobs, and by cooperating with them, reinvests profits to solve other village issues, leading the true start of urban regeneration in the Seongsu area.”

With this contest selection, Seongsu Ji-aeng will receive support including project development, technical training costs, space creation costs, and consulting totaling approximately 280 million KRW over three years.

Block room operated by Seongsu Ji-aeng

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “Urban regeneration projects start with residents taking the lead in planning and executing plans for the villages they live in,” adding, “The urban regeneration activation project promoted by the district will serve as a catalyst, and even after the project ends, the Seongsu Ji-aeng cooperative is expected to create jobs for local residents and return profits to the community, establishing a virtuous cycle and becoming a model for urban regeneration.”