Chuncheon City Listens to Local Commercial Districts on Early-Morning Delivery by Large Discount Stores

Meeting Held with Traditional Market and Small Business Groups
Assessing Local Impact of Changes in the Distribution Environment
Exploring Various Measures to Strengthen Commercial Competitiveness

Amid ongoing discussions over whether to allow early-morning delivery services by large discount stores, Chuncheon City (Mayor Yuk Donghan) directly listened to the opinions of traditional markets and small business groups and sought a course of action in response.

On the 23rd, Yuk Donghan, Mayor of Chuncheon, held a "Regional Business Meeting to Discuss Revisions to the Distribution Industry Development Act" in the reception room at City Hall, attended by small business owners including the Chuncheon Association of Business Managers, the Chuncheon City Branch of the Federation of Small Business Owners, the Chuncheon Young Small Business Owners Association, and the Chuncheon Branch of the Korea Federation of Restaurants.

Yuk Donghan, mayor of Chuncheon, held a "Local Commercial District Meeting Regarding Discussions on Amendments to the Distribution Industry Development Act" on the 23rd in the City Hall reception room, with small business owners in attendance, including the Chuncheon Association of Commercial Managers, the Chuncheon branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, the Chuncheon Young Small Business Owners Association, and the Chuncheon branch of the Korea Association of Restaurant Owners.

This meeting was proactively proposed by Chuncheon City to assess the potential impact on local commercial districts and to seek practical response measures, at a time when the National Assembly is discussing a bill to amend the law to allow large discount stores to offer online delivery services on mandatory closing days and during late-night hours.

Small business owners and traditional market representatives in the Chuncheon area unanimously voiced concern that, if early-morning delivery is allowed, holiday consumption will become even more concentrated online and neighborhood commercial districts could be weakened.

Lim Byungcheol, head of the Chuncheon Association of Commercial Managers, said, "If restrictions on business hours for large retail companies are effectively neutralized, traditional markets and local commercial districts will inevitably face even greater difficulties," and added, "It is necessary to carefully review the impact that allowing early-morning delivery will have on local commercial districts and to take a cautious approach so that the right to livelihood of small business owners is not infringed."

Chuncheon City plans to comprehensively review the opinions raised at the meeting and prepare response measures tailored to local conditions. Mayor Yuk Donghan stated, "Whether the law is amended is a matter for the National Assembly to discuss, but the voices of local commercial districts must be fully reflected," and added, "We will continue to develop support measures that reflect on-the-ground needs so that traditional markets and small business owners can sustainably secure their competitiveness."