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Busan Metropolitan City Selects Target Districts for the 2025 Alley Commercial District Revitalization Support Project

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) has announced the final selection of target districts for the “2025 Alley Commercial District Revitalization Support Project,” aimed at nurturing potential local alleys into representative commercial zones in Busan.

Now in its fourth year, this project supports the development of unique alley commercial districts by connecting local resources and culture within 15-minute living zones.

The five newly selected alley districts are:

• ●40 Stairs (Jung-gu)

• ●Haeridan-gil (Haeundae-gu)

• ●Nakjohanagil and Jangnim Alley Switch (Saha-gu)

• ●Busan National University of Education Merchants’ Association (Yeonje-gu)

Each district will receive KRW 25 million in growth support funding.

The selection followed a public call for applications in April, which included document reviews and on-site evaluations by a panel of experts.

For these new alley communities, the City will launch a “Community Organization Support Program” to bring together small business owners outside the traditional legal frameworks* and strengthen their capacity for self-diagnosis and problem-solving. Support includes:

• ●Merchant competency building

• ●Branding strategies tailored to each alley’s unique character

• ●Storytelling development

• ●Joint marketing

• ●Environmental improvements

• ●Promotional campaigns

(*Outside the legal framework refers to businesses not covered under laws such as the Distribution Industry Development Act or the Special Act on the Promotion of Traditional Markets and Shopping Districts.)

Meanwhile, two existing districts — Hwamyeong Rose Village Merchants’ Community (Buk-gu) and Namcheon Badaro Merchants’ Association (Suyeong-gu) — have been selected as “Busan-Style Alley Champions” based on performance evaluations. Each will receive KRW 100 million in concentrated funding to further develop into exemplary commercial districts.

The selection was based on presentations and comprehensive evaluations by a judging panel conducted in April across nine existing alley districts.

The two top-ranked alleys received the highest evaluation scores and were designated “Busan-Style Alley Champions.” Each will receive KRW 100 million in revitalization support funding. The remaining seven districts will receive between KRW 25 million and KRW 50 million each, depending on their evaluation grade.

2025 Busan-Style Alley Champion Evaluation Results:

• ●Busan-Style Alley Champions (KRW 100 million each):
  • Hwamyeong Rose Village Merchants’ Community (Buk-gu)
  • Namcheon Badaro Merchants’ Association (Suyeong-gu)

• ●Grade A (KRW 50 million each):
  • Kangridan-gil (Jung-gu), Oncheoncheon Café Street (Dongnae-gu), Moonmoon Store (Nam-gu), Haridan-gil (Saha-gu)

• ●Grade B (KRW 25 million each):
  • Joeunsa-i Merchants’ Association (Busanjin-gu), Namsan-ro Merchants’ Association (Geumjeong-gu), Garogongwon Merchants’ Association (Sasang-gu)

The Hwamyeong Rose Village district in Buk-gu, located near the Rose Garden in Hwamyeong-dong, has been recognized as an outstanding alley for the second consecutive year. It earned high marks for its creative use of local assets such as roses. As part of its planned activities, the district will host:

• ●Hwamyeong Rose Garden Food and Culture Festival

• ●Children’s Drawing Contest

• ●Rose Market Day

Namcheon Badaro in Suyeong-gu is a coastal commercial zone in Gwanganli centered around the street name “Namcheon Badaro,” where new and long-standing small business owners coexist. Selected as a Busan-Style Alley Champion, the district will now work to encourage longer visitor stays through:

• ●Seasonal markets

• ●Stamp tour events

• ●Archiving stories and history of the Namcheon Badaro area

In addition, Busan will continue to operate “alley coordinators” to provide hands-on, field-level support to alley communities, helping strengthen their autonomy and ensure sustainable economic revitalization.

These coordinators will assist with:

• ●Organizing merchant communities

• ●Providing consulting services directly in the field

This initiative is expected to increase participation among small business owners and reinforce the self-sufficiency of local commercial districts.

Kim Bong-cheol, Director General of the Digital Economy Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, remarked:
“We hope this project will help uncover the charm of Busan’s uniquely vibrant alley markets. The City is committed to actively managing this initiative and continuing its support to breathe life into the local alley economy.”