Seongbuk-gu District Mayor Lee Seung-ro visited the Homeplus Wolgok store Friday to assess conditions following the store's reopening and hear directly from employees and vendors.
He also joined a shopping trip at the store to show support for the local economic recovery.
The visit was organized by National Assembly lawmaker Kim Nam-geun, who represents the Seongbuk-eul constituency. Seoul Metropolitan Council and Seongbuk-gu Council members also attended to observe the reopening and listen to the difficulties faced by store employees and vendors.
Lee, along with Kim and the attending council members, shopped for groceries and other goods, spoke with customers and took stock of how the store was being used.
Kim said he would continue to play whatever role was necessary in the National Assembly to ensure the hard-won reopening translated into stable store operations and sustained employment.
Lee said Homeplus's difficulties were not simply a matter for one company, but a livelihood issue affecting the employees who work there, the small-business vendors and suppliers operating within the store, and the broader local economy and residents' daily lives. He said he hoped the reopening would lead to stable job retention and a recovery in sales for the businesses inside the store.
Lee added that he hoped Homeplus and the traditional markets and neighborhood commercial districts in the area would build on their respective strengths to cooperate and inject vitality into the local economy as a whole. He said Seongbuk-gu would continue to gather feedback from the ground, monitor the hardships facing employees and small-business vendors, and do everything within the district's power to support job stability and revitalize local commerce.
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