Seoul districts expand alleyway shopping district designations

Local governments in Seoul are expanding the designation of alleyway-style shopping districts to support small business owners and revitalize local economies.

In Gangnam-gu, the number of designated alleyway shopping districts has increased from five to 12 following the addition of seven new locations. These include areas in Sinsa-dong, Samseong-dong, Daechi-dong, Jagok-dong, and Segok-dong. This expansion allows more small business owners to register for Onnuri gift certificates and participate in various commercial revitalization projects led by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Similarly, Dobong-gu has designated three new shopping districts—Shinwon Ebenezer Plaza, Bangye-ri, and Ssangmun 2-dong—bringing its total to eight. To facilitate this, Dobong-gu amended local ordinances to relax the density requirements for designation. These measures aim to provide relief to merchants facing economic downturns by increasing foot traffic and enabling participation in government support programs.