"Give us management rights to Jagalchi Market"... Merchants take drastic measure by suspending business

‌The 20-year usage contract for the Busan Jagalchi Modernization Market expires at the end of this month.
Busan City plans to entrust market management to the Busan Infrastructure Corporation and transition shop usage to a paid system, but merchants are staging a collective protest by suspending business.
Reporter Kim Ok-cheon reports.
[Report]
At the entrance of the Busan Jagalchi Modernization Market,
tourists turn away after seeing signs announcing the suspension of business.
Although it is daytime, a time when the area should be bustling with merchants, customers, and tourists, only seafood remains here now.
When the 20-year free usage contract ends at the end of this month, Busan City plans to entrust market management to the Busan Infrastructure Corporation and collect shop usage fees; in protest, merchants have suspended business for three days.
[Lee Seon-young, Kwon Hak-rae / Canberra, Australia :
"I wanted to show my children many different things, like live octopus and stuff like that."]
The merchants who left the market headed to the front of City Hall.
["(We did business by paying money!) We did business, we did business!"]
The merchants claimed that they contributed funds to build the market and have been paying shop usage fees, arguing that the Busan Fishery Products Processing Association should continue to manage the market.
[Kim Jong-jin / Head of Busan Fishery Products Processing Association, Jagalchi Market :
"(Merchants' money) A total of 16.323 billion won was invested.
We bore the market construction costs and paid shop usage fees.
So, how can this be called free usage?"]
The Jagalchi Market issue was also raised during the Busan Metropolitan Council's administrative audit.
When city council members demanded countermeasures, Busan City replied that there is no legal basis to grant market management authority to the association.
[Shim Jae-min / Head of Busan City Marine Capital Strategy Office :
"(Regarding management authority) We cannot allow it, we do not have such authority, and because there is no legal basis, you are requesting authority that does not exist..."]
Busan City stated that existing merchants can be permitted to operate through private contracts.
However, the association is demanding institutional improvements, claiming that "private contracts are not permitted for merchants operating under lease agreements," which could lead to a prolonged conflict.