Gwangju Seo-gu Launches Field-Oriented "Alley Office"

Touring 18 Neighborhoods Including Dongcheon-dong
Listening to Merchants' Difficulties

On July 16, Seo-gu District in Gwangju announced that it would operate an on-site, field-oriented "Alley Office" to communicate directly with local merchants.

Starting in Pungam-dong on this day, Seo-gu will operate the Alley Office with the district mayor, visiting major alley commercial districts in 18 neighborhoods, including Dongcheon-dong and Geumho 1-dong.

On the 16th, Seo-gu District in Gwangju installed the "Alley Office with the District Mayor" in Pungam-dong, Seo-gu, conducted an on-site inspection of the alley-type shopping district, and listened to the voices of merchants on site. Provided by Gwangju Seo-gu

Part of the interior of an alley shop will be used as the district mayor's workspace, and on-site communication will be further strengthened through inspections of the operation of alley-type shopping districts, review of suggestions submitted via the Alley Economy 119 Phone, and meetings with merchant association leaders.

In addition, Seo-gu District Mayor Kim Ikang and public officials will tour the alley-type shopping district area to check the status of Onnuri gift certificate member stores and directly confirm the changes that small business owners have experienced since the designation of the alley-type shopping district.

Merchants who visited the Alley Office in Pungam-dong said, "Since the area was designated as an alley-type shopping district, the number of customers has noticeably increased. Some residents have even downloaded the mobile Onnuri app and made payments at stores, showing a strong response to the discount benefits," adding, "We hope there will be more active promotion, especially to stores that have not yet registered as member stores."

Seo-gu plans to listen to the real voices of merchants through this on-site office, further develop plans to revitalize alley-type shopping districts, and accelerate the recovery of the alley economy by increasing the Onnuri gift certificate membership rate.

In particular, Seo-gu has launched the "Alley Economy 119 Phone" as part of the second season of "Baro Text Harangke," the district's representative communication channel in the 8th popularly elected administration, to directly hear the voices of small business owners. Among the suggestions received, two to three of the most urgent issues will be selected, and the district will actively seek solutions by freely discussing them with merchants at the Alley Office.

District Mayor Kim Ikang stated, "I will visit every corner of Seo-gu's alleys to ensure that even the smallest voices of merchants are not missed and are connected to practical support measures," adding, "Together with merchants, I will make Seo-gu in Gwangju the undisputed number one alley economy district in South Korea."

Meanwhile, Seo-gu recently declared itself as "South Korea's Number One Alley Economy District" and, for the first time in the country, designated the entire district as an alley-type shopping district.