Is It Easier to Enjoy a Beer on the Terrace?

Mid-term Ombudsman "Proposes System Improvements to Local Governments"

There have been criticisms that selling coffee or beer using the front notice area (terrace) in front of stores is too complicated. The Small and Medium Business Ombudsman plans to work with local governments to improve the system to make outdoor sales easier.

Choi Seung-jae, the Small and Medium Business Ombudsman, held the '2024 Incheon and Gyeonggi Region Small Business On-site Meeting' at the Incheon Business Center in Namdong-gu, Incheon, and announced on the 14th that they listened to the regulatory and difficulty suggestions from local small business owners.

Choi Seung-jae, the Small and Medium Business Ombudsman, is speaking.

Before the meeting, Ombudsman Choi visited the Incheon Moraenae Traditional Market to directly observe the current status and reality of the traditional market, and spent time communicating with merchants while listening to the main difficulties they face.

At this meeting, Seo Jang-yeol, chairman of the Incheon Moraenae Traditional Market Association, said, "In businesses where alcohol sales are permitted, it is often difficult to verify whether customers are minors due to refusal to show ID or presentation of forged or altered IDs, which interferes with business operations," and requested, "Protection is needed for small business owners who diligently check IDs." Ombudsman Choi responded that the government fully sympathizes with this and improvements are being made in various fields.

During the subsequent meeting, various opinions were shared with small business owners from the Incheon and Gyeonggi regions. Attendees included Choi Seung-jae, Small and Medium Business Ombudsman; six representatives of small business owners from Incheon and Gyeonggi; Kang Hae-su, head of the Incheon Regional Small and Medium Venture Business Administration; Ahn Soo-kyung, head of the Small Business Policy Division of Incheon Metropolitan City; and Kang Seong-han, head of the Incheon-Gyeonggi Northern Regional Headquarters of the Small Enterprise and Market Service.

First, Mr. A, chairman of an organization related to Incheon’s alleyway commercial districts representing cafes and restaurants requesting outdoor sales by placing simple tables and chairs in front of stores, said, "The conditions for outdoor sales are limited, so many small business owners cannot utilize spaces such as terraces or rooftops," and requested, "Please allow extensive outdoor sales using the front notice areas in densely concentrated local commercial districts such as traditional markets and shopping streets."

In response, an Incheon city official said, "We are promoting changes to the district unit plan," and added, "Starting as early as the first half of 2025, we will improve the system to allow outdoor sales in areas that meet the 'Incheon Metropolitan City Terrace-type Front Notice Designation Criteria,' such as major commercial districts, food-specialized streets, and where the front notice width is 2 meters or more."

In addition, attendees raised various on-site regulatory and difficulty issues, including △clarification of application documents for early scrapping subsidies for old diesel vehicles △mandatory subscription to accounts receivable liability insurance to protect small business owners △establishment of a remote electric safety inspection device project for traditional markets △adjustment of the number of national technical qualification exam administrations to expand qualification opportunities for small business owners △request for installation of an integrated financial call center for small business owners △and improvement of regulations on the sale of refrigerated fish cake in small portions.

Ombudsman Choi stated, "We will continue to consult with related ministries and others to ensure that the issues discussed today lead to regulatory improvements that can be felt on the ground."