Photo = Yonhap News
It was found that last year’s Seoul commercial district suffered from a novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19), which hit 9 trillion won in sales. The number of bus passengers decreased by 24%, which intensified management difficulties in the bus industry.
As a result of analyzing the impact of Corona 19 by Seoul City on the 10th using big data such as Shinhan Card and Korea Credit Bureau (KCB), the sales of the stores in Seoul amounted to 91 trillion 292.9 billion won last year, 9,359 billion won ( 9.9%) decreased.
There was also a time when sales increased from the previous year. Between May 11 and June 21 of last year, it was a time when consecutive holidays and emergency disaster support payments overlapped. On the other hand, sales plummeted after the third pandemic became a reality in November.
The industry with the largest decline in sales was the duty-free shop, which fell 82.4% YoY. Travel agencies (-64.6%), entertainment bars (-52.9%), and sports facilities (46.1%) also saw a significant decrease in sales. On the other hand, there was also an industry where sales increased after Corona 19. As the time spent at home increased, sales in the furniture industry grew by 22.4%. Butchers (18.9%) and pharmacies (16.1%) also increased sales.
The degree of economic shock was different for each autonomous region. Jung-gu (-19%) and Jongno-gu (-14%), where public institutions and companies were concentrated, Seodaemun-gu (-18%), and Yongsan-gu, including Itaewon (-15%), were hit hard by sales. Jungnang-gu (-3%), Yangcheon-gu (-4%), and Gangdong-gu (-5%), where residential areas were concentrated, showed relatively little decline in sales.
The number of bus passengers decreased due to the spread of Corona 19. Last year, the total number of passengers for city and village buses in Seoul was 1.45 billion, down 23.6% from the previous year. The number of airport buses transported last year was 2.12 million, a decrease of 85.4% from the previous year. The transportation income of Seoul buses decreased by 29.1% (473.8 billion won). The bus industry is demanding that buses be included in the government’s compensation for the loss of Corona 19.
The city of Seoul explained that “bus companies are on the brink of closure because they cannot cover basic operating expenses such as labor and fuel expenses only with transportation income,” and “the city buses supported by the city budget as a semi-public project are holding up with a loan of 600 billion won from banks.” did.
Reporter Sujeong Ha [email protected]
Ⓒ Hankyung.com prohibits unauthorized reproduction and redistribution