Gwangju Seo-gu: "Onnuri Gift Certificates Now Accepted at Sejeong Outlet"

Approval as Autonomous Commercial District
Expected to Boost Consumption and Increase Sales

Exterior view of Gwangju Seo-gu Office

Seo-gu District in Gwangju Metropolitan City has expanded the number of merchants that accept Onnuri Gift Certificates, which help revitalize neighborhood commercial districts and reduce living costs for residents. Seo-gu announced that the Sejeong Outlet area has met the requirements for designation as an autonomous commercial district and has been approved.

An autonomous commercial district is a system in which local merchants, landlords, and the local government sign a win-win cooperation agreement to restore the self-sustainability of local commercial areas and promote sustainable growth.

Seo-gu actively pushed for the designation of the Sejeong Outlet commercial area as an autonomous commercial district, taking into account that its sales and visitor numbers had declined due to changes in the distribution environment, the expansion of online consumption, and intensifying competition with nearby large commercial districts. Together with the Sangmuro Autonomous Commercial District Cooperative (Chairman Kim Sangmuk), Seo-gu conducted a fact-finding survey on the commercial area and held merchant meetings, and in August 2025 established a commercial district revitalization project plan. It then obtained the consent of more than two-thirds of merchants and landlords for a win-win agreement that includes refraining from raising rents and jointly promoting marketing activities.

The Sejeong Outlet commercial area met the designation requirements, as more than half of the entire area is zoned for commercial use, it has more than 100 stores, and it has experienced declines in both sales and floating population.

With this designation as an autonomous commercial district, the Sejeong Outlet commercial area will be able to enjoy various benefits, including registration as an affiliated merchant for Onnuri Gift Certificates, joint promotions, brand development, and rent stabilization. In particular, by establishing a mid- to long-term development plan for the commercial area, it can participate in revitalization projects worth up to 5 billion won over five years.

Seo-gu plans to work with the Gwangju-Jeonnam Regional Office of SMEs and Startups to swiftly proceed with the affiliation procedures for Onnuri Gift Certificates and to support returning visitors and residents so that they can enjoy discount benefits during the Lunar New Year holiday period.

Seo-gu District Mayor Kim Ikang said, "We will provide active support so that Sejeong Outlet can once again establish itself as a leading commercial district that people want to visit, through merchant-led, autonomous innovation of the commercial area," adding, "We will focus our administrative capacity on ensuring that the expansion of Onnuri Gift Certificate merchants provides tangible help to the neighborhood economy."