Dear friends,
We wish to share with you the following statement from Emergency Committee of “Gocheok” Market Tenants.
Asian Human Rights Commission
Hong Kong
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A Statement from Emergency Committee of “Gocheok” Market Tenants forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission
It has been 62 days since we, the tenants of the “Gocheok” market, have been on the street after being forcefully evicted from our market, which has been part of our livelihood for the last 40 years. Most of us are over 60~70 years old, and are both physically and mentally weaker. Things are strained to the breaking point, and it is impossible to know when and what will happen.
Many experts and government agencies, as well as the Emergency Committee of “Gocheok” Market Tenants, have shared the idea that the forceful eviction of the tenants before reconstruction shows a malicious intention to enjoy several privileges under the “Special Act on the Promotion of Traditional Marketplaces and Shopping District,” ignoring compensation to market tenants.
Nevertheless, no one from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Small and the Medium Business Administration, and the Guro District administration has actively moved forward to address the issue. They have not adopted stopgap measures in order to save face, and have continued to be inattentive. To implement genuine self-governance, the local economy should be boosted up and the people of the area should become wealthy.
We are not unreasonably asking for the impossible. The merchants wish to return to the market as soon as possible and continue their lives. However, we cannot accept the reality that only vulnerable people should suffer while the competent authorities remain spectators.
The “Special Act on the Promotion of Traditional Marketplaces and Shopping Districts,” which was made to protect merchants, is degraded to the act on promotion of land speculation, which gives a huge windfall income to investors and is different from the purpose of the law.
The reality is that many markets throughout the country are dying in much the same way, in the name of development, due to speculative capitals. It is a tragedy in light of the national economy; it is not only a problem for individual merchants.
“One who has tied a knot must untie it.”As the old saying tells us, the Guro District administration, who caused the problem, should take the first action to address the issue of the “Gocheok” market. The first duty of Mr. Lee Sung, the newly appointed head of the Guro District administration, is peacefully solving the problem of the “Gocheok” market. When the “Gocheok” market becomes the model of nationwide market development, problems among market tenants of the country as well as the “Gocheok” market issue can be naturally addressed.
Please do not ignore our painful request of survival. We, merchants of the “Gocheok” market, cannot even move one step forward until our right to life is protected and a temporary market is opened which is guaranteed by law.
Demand of the Merchants of the “Gocheok” Market
1. Guarantee the market tenants status of merchants of the “Gocheok” market who were victimized by eviction;
2. Open a temporary market under the management of the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Guro District administration;
3. If it is impossible to open a temporary market, implement feasible measures for protection of merchants, under the control of the relevant departments of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Small and Medium Business Administration, and the Guro District administration;
4. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Guro District administration should endeavor to reach agreement between “Jungsung ENG Inc.,” the main contractor of the construction, and the merchants.
For more details, please contact:
Jihyun Kim, Chairperson of the Emergency Committee of “Gocheok” Market Tenants
Phone: +82 10 8771 6073
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About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984. The above statement has only been forwarded by the AHRC.
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