Gwangju Donggu to Promote Creation of Dongmyeong-dong "Local Content Town"

Gwangju Donggu recently signed a business agreement for the "Gwangju Excellent Commercial District Intensive Development Project" with the Gwangju Economic Promotion Win-Win Job Foundation and the Dongmyeong Community Win-Win Council to create the "Gwangju Representative Commercial District No.1" Dongmyeong Local Content Town. Photo by Gwangju Donggu

Gwangju Donggu announced on June 15 that it has recently signed a business agreement for the "Gwangju Excellent Commercial District Intensive Development Project" with the Gwangju Economic Promotion Win-Win Job Foundation and the Dongmyeong Community Win-Win Council to create the "Gwangju Representative Commercial District No.1" Dongmyeong Local Content Town.

The "Gwangju Excellent Commercial District Intensive Development Project" was first launched last year to revitalize the local economy, foster Gwangju-style local brands, and develop a representative commercial district for the city. As part of this project, the "4th Dongmyeong Coffee Walk" was held, achieving notable results such as attracting approximately 40,000 daily visitors, increasing store sales by 32%, and drawing 25% of visitors from other regions. Dongmyeong-dong has since been recognized as a leading specialized commercial district in Gwangju.

The signing ceremony was attended by District Mayor Lim Taek, CEO Kim Hyunseong, and Chairman Nam Byeonghyo, among others. The participants pledged to pool their efforts to create a Dongmyeong-dong local brand and establish a self-sustaining business ecosystem, thereby fostering Gwangju's representative commercial district.

The main components of the "Dongmyeong Local Content Town" project, which will be promoted through this agreement, include: ▲ creation of a Dongmyeong-dong symbolic photo spot and themed streets ▲ development of specialized products through collaboration between merchants and creators ▲ operation of the "Dongmyeong Walk" daily tour program ▲ fostering local management companies and establishing governance structures.

These organizations plan to create a local content town where tourists visiting Donggu can stroll through the alleys of Dongmyeong-dong and experience new aspects of daily life through differentiated local branding. The project is expected to increase foot traffic, boost sales for local shops, create local jobs, and vitalize cultural tourism.

District Mayor Lim Taek stated, "This agreement is significant as it enables us to promote the Dongmyeong-dong Excellent Commercial District Advancement Project for the second consecutive year through ongoing public-private cooperation." He added, "I hope that Dongmyeong-dong, recognized as Gwangju's Representative Commercial District No.1 for its unique alley commercial model and local cultural and tourism content, will grow into a leading commercial district nationwide."