[Interview] Cha Hyeon-il, Yeongdeungpo District Mayor: "Yeongdeungpo Traditional Market and Fruit and Vegetable Market Transformed, Customers Amazed"

Replacement of Aging Arcade at Yeongdeungpo Traditional Market, Creation of Parking Lot, Central Street Vendor Area Renovation to Secure Walkways... Removal of Tent Awnings and Installation of Arcade at Yeongdeungpo Agricultural Market, Eradication of Sidewalk Occupation Activities

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] “Traditional markets are a measure of regional economic revitalization and the places that best represent the history and identity of the region. We will renovate outdated facilities and strengthen the capabilities of traditional markets to become a source of vitality for the grassroots economy.”

Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo District, said in an interview with this publication, “Through the traditional market revitalization project, we will do our best to bring warmth to the struggling grassroots economy due to COVID-19.”

Yeongdeungpo Traditional Market, which opened in 1956, is one of Seoul’s representative traditional markets. It is close to Yeongdeungpo Station and was once so bustling that people from other regions came to buy goods. However, like many markets, it faced difficulties due to social changes such as the popularization of large supermarkets and online shopping, as well as an aging market environment. Mayor Chae pointed out, “Social changes and the outdated market environment, as well as disorderly street vendors occupying the central passage, were major problems,” citing the double-row street vendors filling the market alleys as one of the main reasons that discouraged visitors. “It caused inconvenience in passage and even gave an unsanitary impression,” he said.

To address this, he took action by directly interviewing merchants, and finally completed the reorganization of 192 street vendors into 51 standardized stalls in July last year. Mayor Chae said, “After the reorganization, the walking environment has greatly improved, and the overall atmosphere of the market has also gotten better, which has greatly satisfied not only customers but also merchants.”

Arcade replacement work is also underway to enable comfortable shopping regardless of the weather. Once the traditional market parking lot within the nearby public complex facility is completed, accessibility and convenience are expected to improve significantly. Mayor Chae expressed his ambition, saying, “We will raise the convenience facilities and design of Yeongdeungpo Traditional Market to the level of department stores so that more residents can use it comfortably.”

He is also making great efforts to strengthen the capabilities of market merchants. Projects to enhance merchant capabilities, such as management education and benchmarking excellent traditional markets, are being promoted, and efforts are underway to develop an online shopping mall (app) for traditional markets that keeps pace with the changing distribution environment.

As a major achievement of market revitalization, he introduced the environmental improvement project around Yeongdeungpo Fruit and Vegetable Market. Since its opening in 1984, the market has gathered 157 wholesale and retail businesses specializing in fruit, and in terms of the number of fruit stores, it is larger than the Gangseo Agricultural and Marine Products Wholesale Market (121 stores). Mayor Chae said, “Although it is located in the city center with excellent accessibility and has a large agglomeration effect due to many businesses gathered, there were many problems. In particular, the fruit piled on the sidewalks caused inconvenience in passage, and the old and dirty awnings not only caused frowns but also posed safety risks.” He recalled past difficulties, saying, “Although efforts such as imposing fines through annual crackdowns were made, they only had temporary effects, and the ‘self-regulation line’?a voluntary agreement not to stack goods beyond a certain point on the sidewalk?was often not properly observed.”

For a fundamental solution, several meetings were held with merchant representatives, and improvement plans were made through dialogue and compromise. After removing the old awnings, arcades were installed, signs were replaced, and the self-regulation line that occupied half of the sidewalk was abolished. Mayor Chae expressed pride, saying, “Through communication and cooperation, we not only improved the urban aesthetics but also eradicated habitual illegal practices and secured pedestrian rights, as seen in the Yeongjung-ro pedestrian environment improvement project.”

In addition, plans are underway to strengthen the self-sustainability of traditional markets through joint purchases of traditional market products for holidays, the Daerim Central Market cultural tourism market development project, the traditional market harmony marketplace, and various facility maintenance projects. Mayor Chae said, “Many small business owners are struggling due to COVID-19, and the difficulties of traditional markets are even greater. Please visit traditional markets where you can purchase quality goods at affordable prices and see the changes for yourself.”