Gyeonggi-do Launches Initiative to Revitalize Alleyway Commercial Districts... 2.5 Billion KRW Support for 228 Communities

Gyeonggi Province has selected 228 alleyway commercial district communities, including the Yeoldubgaeul Merchants Association in Yeoncheon-gun, as targets for this year’s ‘Alleyway Commercial District Revitalization’ project.

The Alleyway Commercial District Revitalization project is designed to systematically nurture communities organized based on local alleyway commercial districts, overcoming the limitations of supporting small business owners, strengthening their capabilities, establishing the identity of commercial districts, and revitalizing the local economy.

Earlier, from February to March, Gyeonggi Province conducted a public contest for each field of the Alleyway Commercial District Revitalization project. The total support budget is 2.5 billion KRW, and the contest fields include ▲New Organization (1st year) ▲Basic Growth of Alleyway Communities (2nd to 6th year) ▲University Collaboration with Alleyway Communities ▲Creation of Excellent Alleys ▲Specialized Support. Eligible recipients are alleyway commercial district communities composed of 30 or more small business owners within the province.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Starting this year, Gyeonggi Province changed the funding sharing ratio for new organization, creation of excellent alleys, specialized support, and university collaboration projects from 100% provincial funding to 50% provincial funding and 50% city/county funding to strengthen the self-sustainability of locally led alleyway commercial districts. The project implementation entity was also changed from merchants’ associations to city/county governments and their public institutions.

Gyeonggi Province expects that through this project, alleyway commercial districts, which form the foundation of the local economy, will be revitalized by actively supporting individual small business owners who have been left out of support policies at the local government level.

Kim Haeng-seok, Director of the Small Business Division of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Through support in areas such as community organization and nurturing, this will serve as a primer to restore vitality to alleyway commercial districts." He added, "We will do our best to support communities step-by-step to foster distinctive and differentiated commercial districts so that alleyway commercial districts can become a main pillar of the local economy representing Gyeonggi Province."