Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Steps Up to Enhance Safety at Cheongnyangni Traditional Market

Promoting “Safe Partnership” with Local Businesses

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies announced on September 20 that it had signed a "Business Agreement for the Revitalization of Traditional Markets and the Creation of a Safe Environment in the Cheongnyangni Area of Dongdaemun-gu" together with the Seoul Dongdaemun-gu District Office, Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station, and the Dongdaemun-gu Traditional Market Merchant Association.

Kang Kihoon (second from the right), President of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, is taking a commemorative photo with Jung Eegeun, Chairman of the Dongdaemun Traditional Market Merchants Association, Choi Dongmin, Mayor of Dongdaemun District Office, and Lee Myungwon, Chief of Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station. Hankuk University of Foreign Studies

The Cheongnyangni Traditional Market area, which attracts a daily floating population of up to 30,000 people, has recently become a landmark visited by numerous citizens and foreign tourists, and is recognized as a leading "K-traditional market."

On September 16, the four participating organizations gathered at Dongdaemun-gu District Office for the agreement ceremony. They reached a consensus not only to focus on basic crime prevention, but also to establish an advanced, community-centered safety system that directly identifies vulnerable areas on site and leads to meaningful improvements in the environment.

Through this agreement, each organization will organically connect their core strengths.

Students and international students from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies will propose innovative crime prevention ideas from a youthful and global perspective, while the Seoul Dongdaemun-gu District Office will develop these ideas into administrative policies and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) projects.

The Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station will present professional measures based on crime data and analysis of 112 emergency calls, and the Merchant Association will launch and operate a "Merchant Patrol" using their on-the-ground experience.

Notably, hands-on projects initiated by students from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies are drawing attention. The students, together with the Merchant Patrol and the police, will inspect market alleys and main pathways, conduct detailed checks on vulnerabilities such as CCTV locations, lighting, pedestrian environment, and safety guidance systems, and propose practical improvement measures.

The proactive involvement of international students is also raising expectations. These students will compare and analyze exemplary safety cases from traditional markets in their home countries and actively develop practical ideas, such as multilingual crime prevention information content necessary for foreign visitors. In this way, the university's unique global capabilities, specializing in foreign languages and regional studies, are being expanded to promote mutual prosperity with the local community.

President Kang Ki-hoon of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies stated, "The mission of a university is to constantly engage and grow together with the local community, extending beyond the ivory tower. We will spare no effort to support our students' insights and international students' global experiences being applied to the traditional market, so that the innovative ideas discovered on site can blossom into real regional safety policies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.