Former Seoul Assembly member Kim Yong-ho has received a plaque of appreciation from the Seoul Merchants' Association and Traditional Market Federation for his contributions to revitalizing alley commerce and traditional markets.
Kim attended the federation's chairperson inauguration ceremony at Party & Friends Fiesta Hall in Seoul on June 30, where he was presented with the honor.
The plaque recognized his field-oriented legislative work during his tenure in the 11th Seoul Metropolitan Council, through which he worked to strengthen the self-sustaining capacity of alley commercial districts and improve the facilities and environment of traditional markets, while contributing to related policy development and budget allocations.
The event also featured the farewell of inaugural Chairperson Ban Jae-seon and the inauguration of incoming Chairperson Ryu Jeong-rae. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, in a video address, described traditional markets and shopping districts as "pillars of the local economy" and pledged to continue providing practical support through policy financing for small business owners, digital transformation initiatives and commercial district revitalization projects.
Kim had previously co-organized several forums with the federation, including a discussion on strategies to revitalize alley commercial districts in Seoul and a policy forum on activating the city's shopping districts and traditional markets, working to bring merchants' voices directly into policy.
He also actively pursued budget allocations to strengthen the competitiveness of traditional markets, supporting training programs for merchants' association heads and managers, trade fairs for shopping districts and traditional markets, and district-level market festivals. In April, he led the signing of a cooperation MOU between the federation and the Seoul Small Business Owners' Association, contributing to an expanded support framework for small business owners.
"The most memorable moments of my time in the 11th Seoul Metropolitan Council were the hours I spent at alley shopping districts and traditional markets, thinking through challenges alongside merchants and searching for solutions together," Kim said. "I believed it was an important duty of a council member to create a stable support environment that small business owners struggling with high prices and an economic downturn could actually feel on the ground."
"Going forward, I will stand as a steadfast partner and supporter of Seoul's merchants, and lend my efforts to the development of alley commerce and traditional markets," he added.
7toy7@heraldcorp.com
