CRI

 [ABSTRACT]

This study aims to diagnose the structural challenges facing local commercial districts in Chungcheongbuk-do, where population decline and a 

weakening consumer base have been intensified by low fertility, rapid population aging, and the growing concentration of population and economic 

activities in the Seoul metropolitan area. In particular, the study seeks to identify sustainable strategies for revitalizing local commercial areas by 

addressing multiple, interrelated problems such as the decline of historic downtown districts, increasing commercial vacancies, and the deteriorating 

business conditions of small merchants.

To this end, the study conducts an in-depth analysis of commercial district revitalization projects implemented in Jecheon City, Chungju City, and 

Boeun County, all of which exhibit common structural characteristics, including population loss and the decline of traditional urban centers.

By examining these cases, the study derives policy directions and implications tailored to local conditions in Chungcheongbuk-do and aims to 

provide foundational evidence for the formulation of the Chungcheongbuk-do Regional Commercial District Coexistence and Revitalization Master 

Plan. Commercial districts are conceptualized as spatial and economic systems shaped by the interaction of surrounding population, accessibility, 

and consumption patterns. Following the enactment of the Act on the Promotion of Coexistence and Revitalization of Regional Commercial Districts, 

the scope of related policies has expanded beyond traditional markets to include general commercial areas and neighborhood-based retail districts. 

In line with this institutional shift, recent commercial district policies have increasingly moved toward a model characterized by private-sector 

leadership, local government coordination, and the integration of cultural content and digital transformation.

In Chungcheongbuk-do, commercial district revitalization initiatives are currently underway in Jecheon, Chungju, and Boeun. While Jecheon and 

Chungju focus on downtown-centered strategies such as branding, culture- and tourism-linked programs, merchant capacity building, and digital 

transition, Boeun County adopts a community-oriented approach that reflects the characteristics of a county-level area, emphasizing daily-life 

convenience, resident-centered services, and the self-sustainability of small-scale commercial districts. However, the analysis reveals that insufficient organizational capacity and financial structures for post-project management may limit outcomes to short-term effects.

Accordingly, this study emphasizes the need for an integrated, district-level strategy that encompasses both traditional markets and alley-based 

commercial areas, while promoting functional differentiation and linkage among districts. It also highlights the importance of transforming commercial 

districts into experience- and stay-oriented spaces by leveraging local historical, cultural, and everyday-life resources. Furthermore, the stablishment 

of a collaborative governance framework centered on commercial district management organizations—bringing together local governments, 

merchants, private actors, and cultural organizations—is essential to ensure continuity beyond the project period.

Finally, by combining digital transformation with youth-attraction strategies and by institutionalizing fiscal and policy-based post-management

mechanisms, commercial district policies in Chungcheongbuk-do can evolve from short-term, event-driven interventions into a core instrument for 

long-term regional restructuring, contributing simultaneously to regional revitalization and economic recovery.