Gwangjin-gu to Invest 740 Million Won in Fire Prevention at Three Traditional Markets

Junggok Jeil Alley Market, Jayang Hangang Traditional Market, Yeongdonggyo Alley Market, and others

Gwangjin-gu, Seoul (Mayor Kim Gyeongho), is moving to upgrade safety facilities at traditional markets vulnerable to fires because of aging electrical systems and inadequate firefighting equipment.

The district announced on October 28 that it will invest a total of 746.59 million won in the 2026 Traditional Market Safety Management Package Support Project at three markets selected through a Ministry of SMEs and Startups competition: Junggok Jeil Alley Market, Jayang Hangang Traditional Market, and Yeongdonggyo Alley Market.

Gwangjin District Mayor Kim Kyungho (right) inspects facilities at a traditional market. Photo provided by Gwangjin District.

The project receiving the largest budget is the replacement of aging wiring. The district will invest approximately 434.84 million won to upgrade old wiring, distribution boards, circuit breakers, and outlets at 114 shops in Junggok Jeil Alley Market, and approximately 177.18 million won for 69 shops in Jayang Hangang Traditional Market. With advice from the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation from the design stage, the work will be tailored to site conditions and is scheduled for completion by January 2027, following an inspection after construction.

The district will also install fire alarm systems at 114 shops in Junggok Jeil Alley Market, at a cost of approximately 131.54 million won. The systems will be equipped with detectors that sense heat and smoke, as well as receivers and repeaters, and will automatically alert fire stations and merchants in the event of a fire. Installation will be completed by December 2026. At 33 shops in Yeongdonggyo Alley Market, the district will provide K-class fire extinguishers, expanding fire extinguishers, and outlet fire extinguishers, at a cost of 3.03 million won.

The district is also continuing to improve traditional market facilities. Early this year, it upgraded the landscape lighting at Jayang Hangang Traditional Market and completed renovations to the merchants' association office and training room at the traditional market in Jayang 4-dong. It is also working on repairs to the arcade at Jayang Traditional Market and the installation of retractable screens at Yeongdonggyo Alley Market. Last year, Junggok Jeil Alley Market installed arcades in the first and second sections at a cost of approximately 2.4 billion won, and work on the third section is also proceeding in stages.

“Traditional markets are both the livelihood base for merchants and everyday spaces that residents regularly visit, so it is important to make them safe for everyone to use,” Mayor Kim Gyeongho said. “By upgrading aging facilities and expanding fire prevention systems, we will create traditional markets where merchants can operate with peace of mind and residents can shop comfortably.”

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