The long-delayed opening of the Jagalchi Ajimae Market in Nampo-dong, originally slated for the end of last month, has been postponed once more, with no clear timeline for when the market will officially open.
Disagreements between Busan City and the Jagalchi Ajimae Market Merchants Association over usage and management fees remain unresolved, despite recent progress on facility-related issues.
According to Busan City on July 14, technical concerns that initially led merchants to resist moving into the new facility, such as water pressure in seawater tanks and the lack of a freight elevatorha, ve largely been addressed through negotiation.
The city has agreed to improve water supply systems and to install elevators and additional restrooms, with the necessary budget to be secured within the next year.
However, the main obstacle now lies in the cost of operating within the facility.
Monthly usage and management fees range from 379,000 to 1,409,000 won depending on the size of the store, and when utility costs such as electricity and water are added, the total monthly cost could rise to between 550,000 and 1,868,000 won per merchant. This is a sharp increase from the approximately 50,000 won that street vendors currently pay for electricity usage via nearby stores.
The Merchants Association argues that such costs are prohibitive, especially for those transitioning from informal street operations. The association is now asking the city to reconsider the fee structure by expanding pipeline access and reducing the floor space above sea level to lower operating costs.
Busan City, however, maintains that fee reductions or waivers would be unfair to other nearby merchants who pay rent and management fees. City officials have indicated that any store spaces left vacant due to withdrawals will be put up for public bidding.
The two sides are scheduled to meet again today in an attempt to resolve the issue.
The Jagalchi Ajimae Market project began in 2014 and has since seen repeated delays. With a total investment of 23.5 billion won, two three-story buildings were completed last year.
Busan City took over the project from the Jung-gu Office in 2015 and has been in ongoing negotiations with vendors since then.
