Gwanak-gu Launches Full-Scale Development of ‘Gwanak S-Specialized Street’ Coexisting with Street Vendors

March 19 Agreement Signed with Resident Representatives and Street Vendors
Creating a Safe Walking Environment and Fostering a Street Where Coexistence Values Are Realized

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) has taken the first step to create a specialized street that coexists with residents by thoroughly reorganizing the street vendors around Sindaebang Station to provide a safe walking environment for residents.

The area around Sindaebang Station in Gwanak-gu has faced continuous issues related to pedestrian safety, hygiene, and the environment for over 40 years since the subway opened in 1984 due to unauthorized street vendors.

Although the district attempted several reorganizations, it was challenging because the issue was directly linked to the livelihoods of the street vendors.

However, street stalls and business facilities on sidewalks pose a significant risk to pedestrian safety in the event of electrical or gas accidents, making thorough and urgent reorganization necessary.

Last year, the district once again gathered residents and street vendors to discuss and negotiate multiple times. As a result, on March 19 of this year, they signed an agreement with representatives of the street vendors and achieved a milestone by officially launching the ‘Gwanak S Specialized Street’ project.

The ‘S’ in Gwanak S Specialized Street stands for ‘Sindaebang Station’, ‘Safety’ in the walking environment, and ‘Smile’ representing harmony between residents and merchants.

The signing ceremony was held with the participation of street vendor operators around Sindaebang Station, residents, and members of the coexistence council. Afterwards, the agreement was signed and exchanged between Gwanak-gu and representatives of the street vendors.

The main points include ▲ efforts to secure safe pedestrian paths for residents ▲ thorough safety management such as food safety inspections, cleanliness management, and use of fire ▲ management of shared rest areas used together with residents ▲ compliance with Seoul city street vendor guidelines.

Through this agreement, the district will convert unauthorized street vendors located at exits 1 and 2 of Sindaebang Station into licensed vendors and newly produce and install stalls according to the street vendor guidelines.

Additionally, the district plans to comprehensively reorganize water and sewage, electricity, and sidewalks to provide a safe walking environment for residents while also protecting the livelihoods of street vendors operating for survival.

In particular, the district will create a ‘shared rest area’ around Sindaebang Station to establish a space for coexistence with residents.

Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “Starting with the agreement made today, we will work with residents to make ‘Gwanak S Specialized Street’ a landmark of Gwanak. We will strive to establish a sustainable coexistence system rather than a temporary street environment improvement and do our best to achieve regional development.”