Pyeongtaek City Rejects E-mart 2nd Store Construction Permit Application... Merchants' Association Welcomes Decision

Pyeongtaek City has rejected the construction permit application for E-mart's second store, which small merchants have been opposing.

The city announced on the 16th that it rejected the construction permit because E-mart's plan for opening a new store lacked concrete and substantive implementation measures for co-prosperity with local small merchants.

The city's Architectural Review Committee had approved E-mart's opening plan in October of last year on the condition that it submit a co-prosperity plan with local small merchants.

However, E-mart's plan submitted on the 10th failed to present implementation measures that satisfied both the city and the local merchants' association, according to reports.

Previously, E-mart had applied to the city in November last year for a construction permit to build a large-scale mart consisting of one underground level and five above-ground floors on a 46,566 square meter site at Block 4-1 within the Sosabeol land development district in Bijeondong.

The nearby Tongbok Merchants' Association and civic organizations that have opposed E-mart's entry expressed that they "welcome the city's rejection of E-mart's construction permit application" and argued for "amendments to the Distribution Industry Development Act (introduction of regional volume cap system), introduction of a permit system for large-scale marts and super supermarkets (SSM) to prevent such incidents from recurring."

An E-mart official stated, "We have received notification from Pyeongtaek City of the rejection of the construction permit application and are conducting an internal review" and "we are not at a stage to answer questions about the continuation of the business at this point."