Gwangju City Upgrades Security Lighting to Regenerate Traditional Markets

- Mayor Park Gwang-tae accepts proposal from traditional market vendors, expands lighting installations to 18 markets

Gwangju City decided to improve and lighting facilities around the city’s dimly-lit traditional markets, to improve the environment for shoppers and to re-energize such markets

From Jan 18th-20th, Gwangju City studied the lighting facilities in 18 traditional markets in the city, and found that shoppers and traders are unhappy due to the old lighting installations and poor-quality lighting conditions in place. Due to this dark atmosphere, traditional markets are losing popularity, so Gwangju has decided to engage with local security lighting firms to improve the situation.

Recently Mayor Park Gwang-tae listened to traders suffering in Daein market, who complained that was insufficient security lighting inside the market, and so crime and theft were common. Mayor Park accepted their complaints and he ordered checks on the lighting situations in all traditional markets, and for plans to be made to solve the problem.

Gwangju city plans to equip customized lighting for each market, taking in consideration height, brightness and location, to induce a warm and comfortable atmosphere while shopping in traditional markets.

Gwangju city will apply use LED lighting, and long-lasting, quality spot-lighting to increase the value of vendors’ wares, and install diffusive lighting around the entrances to markets, to increase light levels.

Gwangju city will apply a group-control method, also used for road-side street lighting, from a remote control centre, to operate the lights, which will minimize wasted electricity and prevent local store owners from arbitrarily turning off the lights. Gwangju will also repair lights immediately should any problems arise.

“Through this proposal we can expect that to reduce crime and robbery around traditional markets, and help them boom again,” said a city official. “Gwangju City will listen to the needs of traditional markets and improve their environment, in line with the local council’s beliefs to always be in tune and as one with local residents.”