The Seoul Metropolitan Government is pushing to designate "nighttime economy co-prosperity zones" as a new engine of growth for the city, and will create a dedicated nighttime economy envoy post and launch a task force to drive the initiative.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon chaired the first regular senior staff meeting since the launch of the ninth elected term on Wednesday, making nighttime economy revitalization the lead policy agenda item. The meeting marks the first concrete step toward turning the nighttime economy vision Oh outlined in his inauguration address into a core citywide priority.
The nighttime economy drive — the signature strategy of the ninth elected term — aims to create a new growth engine for Seoul by organically linking tourism, culture, commercial districts and transportation. The city plans to channel spending by the growing number of foreign tourists into neighborhood commercial districts and inject vitality into downtown areas that empty out after work hours, with the goal of building Seoul into a "global city alive around the clock."
"Choosing the nighttime economy as the lead agenda for the first senior staff meeting of the ninth elected term reflects our determination to reshape Seoul's future growth axis," Oh said in his opening remarks. "The nighttime economy is not simply about supporting neighborhood businesses — it is Seoul's new growth strategy for connecting culture, tourism, commerce and transportation into a single ecosystem, transforming how residents spend their leisure time and expanding urban consumption and vitality."
To build that ecosystem quickly — one in which nighttime activity by residents and tourists translates into real commercial spending — the city will operate a joint task force led by the nighttime economy envoy and drawing on seven key offices and bureaus: the Planning and Coordination Office, the Economy Bureau, the Culture Headquarters, the Transportation Bureau, the Public Communications Office, the Tourism and Sports Bureau, and the Labor and Livelihood Bureau. In addition, a dedicated team will be established within the Economy Bureau this month to manage nighttime economy policy on an ongoing basis, strengthening the policy implementation framework.
Next month, the city will form a public-private governance body bringing together small-business owners, merchant associations and experts to jointly discuss district-specific revitalization measures, mediate community conflicts and develop co-prosperity plans.
The city also plans to develop a unified nighttime economy brand that ties together the nighttime infrastructure and content scattered across Seoul, completing the experience of a Seoul night as a single, cohesive offering.
Seoul is positioning the nighttime economy not merely as a policy to boost late-night spending, but as a new urban growth strategy that connects culture, tourism, commerce and transportation into a single economic ecosystem. The vision is to transform Seoul's nights into spaces where residents linger and enjoy themselves longer, linking that activity to the local economy to raise the city's global competitiveness.
To that end, the city will review plans to designate nighttime economy co-prosperity zones centered on major nighttime landmarks. The zones would receive support in three areas: incentives for late-night business operation, deregulation measures including extended hours for use of public open spaces and outdoor dining, and late-night public transit. The city will also pursue the enactment of a Seoul nighttime economy revitalization ordinance to establish a legal foundation for the initiative.
The city will also develop "Seoul Moonlight Night Market" into a flagship nighttime economy brand, nurturing the outdoor dining culture spreading among younger generations as a core driver of local nighttime economies.
The city will support revisions to district-level ordinances to allow legal road use and outdoor business operations in zones where pedestrian safety is ensured. On that basis, it plans to pilot five "Seoul Moonlight Night Market" sites this year — operating under strict hygiene and safety standards — before expanding to 25 sites by 2028. Selected Moonlight Night Market commercial districts will be eligible for up to 2 billion won ($1.34 million) in support for pedestrian environment improvements, sanitation facility upgrades and commercial branding, with an additional incentive of up to 500 million won under review for districts that meet performance targets.
To help residents feel safe enjoying nighttime activities, the city will step up enforcement against disorderly conduct and expand a nighttime safety network that includes Seoul Safety Officers and citizen patrol programs. The city is also reviewing plans to expand late-night bus services and roll out more autonomous driving buses and taxis to improve late-night mobility.
"Revitalizing the nighttime economy goes beyond simply increasing late-night spending — it is a core strategy for rescuing struggling neighborhood economies and easing deepening economic polarization," Oh said. "We must create spaces across all of Seoul where people can stay and enjoy themselves at night, so that tourists' footsteps and spending flow into the neighborhood commercial districts of all 25 autonomous districts." He added that he would make the nighttime economy his top priority for the next six months and called on all departments — covering culture, tourism, transportation and the economy — to break down silos and work together to produce effective policy.
Based on the discussions at Wednesday's senior staff meeting and deliberations by the G3 Seoul Planning Committee, the city plans to release a comprehensive nighttime economy revitalization plan in early August.
ikson@heraldcorp.com
