Noksikrae Seoul City Councilor "Proper Compensation Measures for Itaewon Shops Must Be Established"

Rep. Noh Holds Meeting with Itaewon Store Association Delegation... Merchants Say "Eviction Lawsuits Rising Due to Unpaid Rent" "Compensation for Business Losses Under Article 23 of the Constitution Needed" "Calls for Tailored Quarantine Measures Based on Commercial Area Characteristics"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seoul Metropolitan Council member Noh Sik-rae (Democratic Party, Yongsan 2) met with Itaewon merchants on the brink of collapse to assess the situation and discuss countermeasures.

At a meeting held at 4 p.m. on the 15th in an empty Itaewon cafe due to gathering restrictions, participants included Park Seong-su, representative of the Itaewon Commercial Association operating a general restaurant, Hwang Yoon-chul, Kim Hyun-jung, and Bae Kwang-jae, who runs a real estate brokerage business.

The Itaewon Commercial Association merchants expressed their difficulties, saying, "Since last May, three waves of the pandemic have continued for nine months, resulting in almost no sales, making it impossible to even pay rent. Recently, eviction lawsuits have increased significantly in Itaewon."

They also stated, "Article 23 of the Constitution stipulates that when the state restricts citizens' property rights by law for public necessity, fair compensation must be provided. However, the three rounds of support funds received so far fall far short of covering business losses," and insisted, "Compensation for business losses that reflects the reality must be provided."

Furthermore, they urged, "Each commercial district has different characteristics, but it is problematic to uniformly restrict business hours until 9 p.m. Unlike other office-dense areas, Itaewon's business starts after working hours, so limiting operations until 9 p.m. means only two hours of business per day. Practical alternatives tailored to the characteristics of the commercial district must be proposed."

Council member Noh Sik-rae, who organized the meeting to listen to the Itaewon merchants' difficulties and seek solutions, assessed the situation, saying, "After one year since the domestic outbreak of COVID-19, the Itaewon commercial district has frozen more severely than the recent record-breaking Arctic cold wave."

He added, "In this desperate situation, Itaewon merchants continue a tearful fight for survival," and urged, "The government and Seoul city must promptly devise measures to save them."