[Reporter's Desk] "Measures to Attract Population Must Precede Solutions for Vacant Commercial Spaces in Sejong City"

Legal Status as a Metropolitan City, Population Stays Around 390,000
"With the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Also Moving, Sejong City's Future Looks Grim"

The political community and administrative authorities are currently grappling with measures to revitalize the local economy in Sejong City, including the issue of vacant commercial spaces in the new urban area.

Despite holding several meetings, the city has yet to present a concrete solution. This is primarily due to the recognition that there are clear limitations to population inflow. As of the end of June this year, the registered resident population in Sejong City stands at 392,223.

According to statistics confirmed by , the city’s population surpassed 390,000 in October last year. Over the course of nearly a year since then, just over 2,200 people have moved into Sejong City. Experts believe that this has a direct impact on the local economy, as an increase in floating population resulting from population inflow can serve as a major turning point for economic revitalization.

The issue of vacant commercial spaces is similar. Due to a lack of demand, including insufficient floating population, even operating businesses are closing down because of limited sales, and the volume of commercial lease transactions is also declining. Although Sejong City enjoys the legal status of a metropolitan city, this is due to the relocation of government ministries and other special circumstances. With a low resident population, it is only natural that the floating population is also low, as reflected in the statistics.

Under current law, Sejong City is scheduled to be constructed by 2030, meaning there are still six years left until its completion. It is undeniable that the premature administrative decision to sell commercial spaces before the city’s completion and before the resident population reached even 500,000 has resulted in the current dire situation.

For example, a house without residents inevitably becomes dilapidated due to lack of management. Similarly, a city only thrives when it is bustling with people. In a city with a small resident population and a low floating population, it is unrealistic to expect shopping districts to survive.

Therefore, measures to increase population inflow must take precedence over solutions for vacant commercial spaces. In order to support local small business owners who are struggling to keep their businesses afloat, the political community and administrative authorities must come together to address the issue of population inflow, regardless of the reasons.

One small business owner shared their experience: Seeing the future prospects of Sejong City, they used their savings from work to open a small shop, hoping to run a family business. However, it did not take long to realize that this decision was a mistake. They should have considered the outlook for the floating population, but failed to do so. Despite having a long lease term remaining, they were forced to close the shop in less than a year. With no income, the burden of monthly loan interest, rent, and utility bills became overwhelming. Ultimately, they had to close the business before the end of the contract, receiving only a partial refund of the deposit. For this individual, Sejong City was supposed to be a city of opportunity, but reality proved otherwise.

With population inflow stagnating, it is worth questioning which small business owner would choose to open a shop in Sejong City. Rather than focusing solely on measures for vacant commercial spaces, it is essential to establish and pursue alternatives to increase population inflow. Efforts must be made to ensure that even the currently operating shops do not have to close down. Instead of providing temporary financial support, the goal should be to create a local community where natural consumer culture, driven by population inflow, prevents both consumers and small business owners from experiencing inconvenience and hardship.

In this context, it is understandable that public opposition is rising against the government’s plan to relocate the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan. Given the current situation in Sejong City, if the Ministry is relocated, the population will shrink further. Since the main customers are government employees and their families, small business owners will face even greater difficulties in running their businesses.

The relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is, for small business owners, a matter of survival. Already struggling with the limitations of the floating population and facing increasing uncertainty about their livelihoods and loan repayments, it is unrealistic to discuss the nation’s future in terms of balanced development under such circumstances. Some interpret this policy as a cruel measure that could deal a double blow to small business owners.

Is the belief that a city shines when people live there, and that consumption occurs only when there is a floating population?a fundamentally common-sense and principled solution?shared only by small business owners and journalists?