'Golmok Sanggw?n Infringement Controversy' Incheon Guwol-dong Emart Traders... Conditional Approval of Building Review

Incheon Namdong-gu Office

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Emart Traders in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, which faced two suspensions due to controversy over infringement on local commercial districts, has barely passed the architectural review.

According to Namdong-gu on the 12th, the district held an architectural committee meeting the day before and conditionally approved the architectural permit review for Emart Traders applied by Emart. The committee set the registration of a large-scale store as a condition before the commencement of construction for Emart Traders.

Accordingly, Emart is expected to speed up the approval and commencement of construction for Traders.

Emart is promoting the establishment of Emart Traders, a warehouse-type large mart with one basement floor and four above-ground floors, on a 48,680㎡ site in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu.

However, the planned project site is included in the 'Traditional Commercial Preservation Zone,' sparking local community controversy over whether to grant the building permit. In 2011, the district designated an area within a 1 km radius of six traditional markets in the region as the Traditional Commercial Preservation Zone according to the Distribution Industry Development Act.

Local civic groups and merchants have opposed, saying, "Guwol Wholesale Traditional Market is located only about 400 meters in a straight line from the site where Traders will be built," and "To protect the commercial area of local traditional markets, the construction of Traders should not be permitted."

Conscious of such public opinion, the Namdong-gu architectural committee had previously suspended the building permit for Traders twice.

The committee postponed the agenda for the building permit applied by Emart on the 10th of last month and on the 23rd of the same month decided to re-examine the impact on surrounding traffic and regional cooperation and coexistence plans.