The Seoul Metropolitan Government, which had actively pushed to bring in a snack shop to revitalize Donuimun Museum Village (hereafter Donuimun Village) during the COVID-19 pandemic, moved to evict it after three years of operation, and litigation is ongoing.

This is because the city changed the project to remove Donuimun Village and create green space in the area.

According to Kyunghyang Shinmun reporting compiled on the 4th, Kim Eun-ju, head of Hollywood Theater who operates ‘School Front Snacks’ in Donuimun Village, has been engaged in court battles for over a year after receiving a request to vacate from the city. Citing refusal to vacate, the city even issued a compensation levy against Kim.

Kim, who runs Hollywood Theater, a silver cinema in Nakwon Arcade in Jongno District, received an offer in 2021 from the Seoul Metropolitan Government Culture Headquarters to open a shop in Donuimun Village. At the time, the city was actively promoting the entry of eateries, along with building remodeling, to revitalize Donuimun Village.

However, despite multiple calls for applications at the time, no business sought to move into Donuimun Village. As a result, ‘School Front Snacks’ moved in through a private contract. The contract term ran from June 2021 to June 25, 2024.

To operate the shop, Kim planned nostalgic boxed lunches, snack fare, and hands-on programs. Kim also paid for the interior fit-out out of pocket. In a facilities inspection conducted in March last year, the business received the highest score among tenants.

The belief that operations could continue was shattered in April last year when the responsible department notified Kim, “The contract is ending, so you must vacate.” The department also said that failure to vacate would constitute illegal occupancy.

The city plans to discontinue the operation of Donuimun Village and develop the area into Gyeonghuigung History and Culture Park.

Kim filed for an injunction to stay the effect of the city’s refusal to renew and won. However, Kim lost at first instance on the merits. The judgment reasoned that, with the city pursuing a maintenance plan for the Donuimun Village area, there was no practical benefit in leaving only ‘School Front Snacks’ in place. The appeal trial is now underway.

Kim said, “The city first invited us to help revitalize Donuimun Village and even gave us an award for reviving the village, but now they say they no longer need us and ask us to leave. Are we, who have operated trusting only the Seoul Metropolitan Government until now, simply to be driven out?”

Commercial tenants can be protected for ten years under the Commercial Building Lease Protection Act, but publicly owned property has no separate safeguards, so once the use-permit period set by the city ends, the occupant must vacate unless the permit is renewed. The city has even issued a compensation levy of 50 million won against ‘School Front Snack Bar’ on the grounds that it continued to operate after the contract ended.

The city stated, “It is merely the expiration date of the permitted use period due to a policy change,” adding, “There is no legal violation in this administrative measure.” It continued, “Just as you cannot operate a concession in a soccer stadium if it is decided to build a district office building on the field, there is no problem with being unable to renew because the administrative purpose of Donuimun Village changed according to the city policy decision.”