Seodaemun-gu Holds Urban Architecture Joint Committee Meeting to Greatly Expand Recommended Uses for Buildings in the Area in Front of Ewha Womans University
From existing clothing and accessory stores, and beauty salons to restaurants, karaoke rooms, performance halls, academies, clinics, and more
Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seongheon) announced on the 16th that it has greatly expanded the recommended uses for buildings in the Daehyeon-dong 37-32 area, a commercial district in front of Ewha Womans University.
Previously, the Seoul Metropolitan Government designated clothing and accessory retail stores and beauty salons as recommended business types through the “Shinchon District Unit Plan Decision” made over 10 years ago in September 2013.
Incentives such as relaxed parking installation standards were provided for recommended business types.
However, to convert parts used for recommended purposes to other uses, new parking lots had to be constructed, effectively limiting the types of businesses that could enter.
Meanwhile, since the district unit plan decision, market conditions have changed, weakening the competitiveness of the existing recommended business types and causing issues such as vacant stores.
To address this, the district held an Urban Architecture Joint Committee meeting on the 14th of this month and passed a proposal to expand the recommended business types to include restaurants, bakeries, performance halls, exhibition halls, bookstores, libraries, photo studios, academies, fitness centers, bowling alleys, billiard halls, karaoke rooms, clinics, and more.
In addition to expanding recommended uses, the district plans to revitalize the long-stagnant commercial area by conducting the “Shinchon and Ewha Area Revitalization Plan Study” this year and the “Shinchon District Unit Plan Reorganization” next year.
Lee Seongheon, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, “With this expansion of recommended uses, various types of stores will open, bringing vitality to the commercial district in front of Ewha Womans University. Furthermore, we will pursue various initiatives to revitalize the entire Shinchon area.”
Gangbuk-gu Hosts Cheonbyeon Life Gangbuk Festa 2023: 'Uicheon Kkotida' Created Together with Citizens
Held April 7-9 Along Uicheon, Baeknyeon Market, and Food Alley to Coincide with Cherry Blossom Bloom
Festival Planned Together with Local Merchants and Cultural Artists from the Start... Birth of 'Uicheon Kkotida'
Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Sunhee) will hold the Cheonbyeon Life Gangbuk Festa “2023 Uicheon Kkotida” from April 7 to 9 along the Uicheon area, in collaboration with local merchants and cultural artists.
The “Uicheon Kkotida” Festa is a local festival where Gangbuk citizens can enjoy a variety of cultural programs such as performances, exhibitions, experiences, and markets along the cherry blossom-filled Uicheon riverside, and explore the nearby food alley and Baeknyeon Market filled with stories and food.
The opening ceremony starts on April 7 at 7 p.m. at the Beonchanggyo Trick Art Zone with a performance and congratulatory shows by singers including 10cm. From April 8 to 9, busking by local musicians and craft markets will be held between 11 bridges from Ssanghangyo to Beollygyo. Baeknyeon Market will host a special barbecue sale and prize giveaway events, while the food alley will feature festival-branded items in restaurants.
On the last day of the festival, April 9, a rare pet plant market will be held at Uije 2 Bridge in collaboration with the social enterprise Urban Jungle, allowing both tourists and Gangbuk citizens to experience stories about rare plants that are usually hard to encounter.
Alongside the festa, a “Anne of Green Gables Character Exhibition,” symbolizing the vitality and imagination of spring, will be held throughout Uicheon. This content, designed for parents and children to enjoy together, will add fun to family outings and will continue until the 30th (Sunday) even after the festival ends.
Local Merchants and Cultural Artists Collaborate from the Planning Stage to Create the Local Festival Brand 'Uicheon Kkotida'
“Will the local commercial district really be revitalized just because many tourists come?”
This was a question raised during a meeting with the heads of three merchants’ associations near Uicheon. Before COVID-19, in 2017, 220,000 tourists visited the Uicheon cherry blossom path. This year, 300,000 visitors are expected. While a one-time local festival might temporarily boost the commercial district, it was concluded that building good relationships with tourists and encouraging continuous visits would be more effective.
The Baeknyeon Market and Food Alley merchants’ associations selected long-standing shops and unique menus, creating promotional content through interviews with experts. Some merchants voluntarily challenged themselves to develop competitive products such as cherry blossom latte, cherry blossom cotton candy, and finger foods for pedestrians. In this way, citizens around Uicheon are preparing to build good “relationships” with tourists who will visit the Uicheon festival.
The local festival brand “Uicheon Kkotida” was planned with the hope that many tourists visiting Gangbuk will be more captivated by the citizens?who are like flowers?than by the beautiful spring cherry blossoms along Uicheon.
A Special Meeting of Walking Tours and Local Festivals: Enjoying the Festival Flowing Like Water Along the Riverbank at the Peak of Cherry Blossoms
The entrance to the “Uicheon Kkotida” festa is Baeknyeon Market and the Food Alley. Before entering the main festival area, visitors can enjoy simple finger foods or meals, then leisurely experience the festival programs flowing like water between the 11 long bridges. Since the festival is enjoyed while moving along the Uicheon riverside, comfortable clothing and a half-day of free time are essential.
Although the Uicheon terrain makes it difficult to operate a stay-type festival, this weakness was turned into a strength by combining natural scenery, citizens’ daily lives, cultural arts, and commercial districts to create a dynamic festival. It naturally reflects recent tourism trends such as everyday travel and alley tours.
Rather than investing excessive budgets in decorating spaces, the programs focused more on planning charming content and brand management to allow diverse citizen participation and maintain spatial unity across the wide festival area. Through this festival, the goal is for tourists who visited the festival site to return for another trip filled with local stories.
Lee Sunhee, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, said, “The ‘Uicheon Kkotida’ festival held from April 7 to 9 along Uicheon will be a unique festival where visitors will be captivated by the charm of Uicheon, Gangbuk’s local culture and arts, and the surrounding commercial district. We will continue to develop Uicheon and other areas into places where various cultural events can be enjoyed year-round, making Uicheon a space where culture breathes alongside citizens’ daily lives.”
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