Mayor Lee Sang-il of Yongin: "City Will Actively Support Shopping District Sale Festa"

Holding a "Visiting Tea Talk" with Local Merchants

Lee Sang-il, mayor of Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province, held a "Visiting Tea Talk" with local merchants at the "Bird79" cafe on Guseong-ro in Giheung-gu on the afternoon of the 16th to discuss measures for revitalizing the commercial district.

Lee Sang-il, mayor of Yongin (left), is discussing measures to revitalize the commercial district with local merchants at a cafe on Guseong-ro in Giheung-gu on the 16th. Provided by Yongin City

This tea talk was the third event of its kind, following similar gatherings in Suji-gu and Cheoin-gu last month. It was organized to listen to issues facing the commercial districts and to seek practical support measures.

The meeting was attended by 15 people, including the presidents of Gugal Shopping District, Eojeong Furniture Complex Shopping District, BOCA, Bojeong Central, and Guseong Eonnam Alley Shopping Districts, as well as representatives from the Yongin Small Business Association Giheung Branch.

During the meeting, merchants proposed several ideas: extending the grace period for illegal parking enforcement in shopping areas; publishing a "local shopping district guidebook" in the style of a tourist map; and expanding membership in the Small Business Association.

In particular, there was a suggestion to hold a "Yongin Sale Festa" (tentative name), involving 19 traditional markets, shopping districts, and alley-type shopping districts in Yongin, to boost public interest and stimulate consumption.

Mayor Lee stated, "I think it is an excellent idea for shopping districts to voluntarily come together and hold a sale festival for citizens," and added, "The city will actively support areas such as promotion and other assistance where possible."

The city is pursuing various support policies to revitalize local commercial districts. In total, 19 commercial areas have been designated and are being managed and operated, including two traditional markets, two shopping districts, and 15 alley-type shopping districts.

Yongin City is implementing a range of support projects for these commercial areas. Last year, the city supported events such as the BOCA Alley Shopping District Consumption Promotion Event and the Eojeong Furniture Complex Stamp Tour JoaYong Event. This year, the city has been promoting district-specific events such as the BOCA Coffee Festa in June, the Dunjun Alley Shopping District Festival in September, and the Bojeong Central Festival scheduled for October.

Alongside these efforts, infrastructure improvement projects are also underway, including the construction of a multi-purpose convenience facility at Yongin Central Market, the establishment of a public parking lot at Gugal Shopping District, and the creation of a tourism-themed alley at Bojeong-dong Cafe Street.

The city is also providing a variety of customized support for individual small business owners, including local currency issuance support, loan services, environmental improvement support, design consulting, and online platform cost assistance.

In particular, the city plans to launch the "Yongin Commercial District Revitalization Center" next year as a comprehensive support hub for local commercial district revitalization. The center will be responsible for developing growth strategies for each commercial area and overseeing support projects tailored to local characteristics. It will also assign personnel to serve as "market managers" responsible for on-site management, promotion, and education, thereby reducing the management burden on merchants and strengthening field-oriented administrative support.