CINA

본문

Seoul's ongoing/planned mad and destructive "Redevelopment Project" got its next - allegedly "defenseless"(*) - victims: (likely) thousands of (mainly very poor) street vendors, as today's (bourgeois) Korea Herald reports:

Vendors driven off the streets of Seoul

Seoul City recently stepped up efforts to clean itself of disorderly street vendors, and those making their daily living in the streets seem to be paying the price.

As part of its ambitious plan to redesign the city, Seoul has come up with a set of reinforced guidelines on the street vendors.

All street vendors who sell food, accessories or other goods have been obligated to standardize their cart to a fixed size, costing around 3 million won ($2,381). Though district offices financed 1 million won per seller, most had to loan the remaining amount.

"These expensive standard carts do have better facilities, but the heating and lighting are way too costly, so are not of much use to me," said Kim Sung-joo, a snack vendor in Jongno.

From next March vendors will also be charged for occupying the streets, based on the city's attempts to convert the under-the-table street selling to an official business category.

 
"The very reason many people would start off a vending cart in the streets is because they cannot afford the rent for a real store," said Kim Jeong-gwon, an accessory vendor in Gangnam.

"Charging further fees to such people literally means depriving them of their means of living."

In some of the districts, an entire cluster of such street vendors were moved from their original location under the city's orders.

Last month, more than 100 street vendors along the Jongno streets were moved to the backstreets near Changgyeong Palace under Seoul's city redesigning project.

"Street businesses naturally form in the most crowded districts," said Kim.

"The city cannot naively expect that they will do just as well when moved to another neighborhood. This is not like rearranging one's things in one's room."

Though Seoul City is actively promoting the Changgyeong Palace area as a new tourist spot, it is still short of weekend visitors, and most of the sellers are thus experiencing a drastic sales deficit, he said.

Well-to-do Gangnam-gu has also removed most of the street vendors from its main streets over the past year.

The Gangnam subway station district, located between the neighboring Gangnam-gu and Seocho-gu, shows a clear contrast.

"The Gangnam-gu side of the street is almost clear of all street selling, especially the food-selling carts," said Lee Myung-jin, 26, a frequent visitor in the area. "Most of the carts and stalls have been either removed or moved to the inner streets."

Some were also forced to move further away from the Gangnam station crowd.

"I am now making less than half the money I used to make around Gangnam Station," said a snack seller, who was shoved to a relatively secluded spot in Nonhyeon-dong, outside of the commercial quarters.

City officials, however, remain determined to maintain a clean and orderly streetscape.

"These randomly placed street businesses do not only disturb pedestrians but also are threats to public safety as they may block police cars or fire trucks in emergencies," said an official of the Dongdaemun-gu office.

Citizen responses varied.

"I understand that Seoul, as a metropolitan city which it came to be, needs to have certain rules and orders in the streets, and thus cannot just neglect these vendors," said Lee Jin-young, a 31-year-old public servant.

"It is nevertheless quite irresponsible for the city to force the consequences on these working class people and not to offer sufficient support."

Some also said they missed the coziness of the street foods and goods.

"Seoul is not all about modernity and its 'other sides' should also be respected as they are," said Park Ji-hye, a university student.

"I personally feel deprived of my souvenirs, with all the tteokbokki carts driven away from the streets."

Whereas some others agree with the city's plans, in terms of safety and city designs, it is the general opinion that an active support is needed to prevent street vendors from additional debts.

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/12/11/200912110028.asp

* because "they're just on the bottom end of the society", as the S.K. ruling class assumes... But they (the current "rulers") should remember following:
☞ 2003.11.30: THE BATTLE OF CHEONGGYECHEON