A Study on the Meaning & Classification of Conventional Markets

전통시장 개념 및 분류체계 재정립에 관한 연구

Conventional markets in Korea have played a pivotal role in the vitalization of local communities and economies along with the distribution of products. Although many people believe the markets to be disorderly, they are lively and provide local people with things to enjoy, watch and buy. However, superstores have undergone a mushrooming proliferation since Korea opened its gates to multinational superstores in 1996. This phenomenon has caused a crisis for Korea's conventional markets. They have lost their competitiveness because of this environmental change, inefficient management, and their outmoded facilities. Government efforts to revitalize the markets have centered on redevelopment of the facilities, a perspective that has caused not only the fall of the old business districts but also the decline of the distribution function. Under these conditions, the traditional market has re-entered into competition. The Korean government enacted a special law to revitalize the conventional markets and has been implementing many policies to support them since 2003. In 2009, the government amended the law and adopted the Business Improvement District System. The government also changed the official term from 'old markets' to 'Conventional markets'. Despite this legal amendment, though, we still need to re-establish the concept of the Conventional market. Historically, markets grew up spontaneously to dispose of surplus products. Some manmade markets were established through urban planning or as public facilities. Their businesses transactions have always been based on mutual trust between consumers and trades people, the traditional way of commercial dealing. Conventional markets can be defined, then, as creatures of societal necessity where transactions for services and products are based on mutual trust. Problematically, unlisted markets are left out of government support. Although unlisted markets have performed almost the same functions as listed markets, they exist only as a statistic as far as the special law is concerned. In some areas, there are more unlisted markets than unlisted ones. Therefore, it is necessary to establish systematic management methods for the unlisted markets. Some unlisted markets received support in the form of facility improvement from local governments' budgets in the early stage of the special law's enforcement. The current government also assists with safety issues involving unlisted markets; however, the current special law provides no legal framework for unlisted markets. Moreover, consumers cannot tell the difference between unlisted markets and listed ones. Finding a solution to this problemrequires new standards and a wider scope of support by which the efficiency of the market improvement support system might be enhanced.

전통시장은 생필품의 유통이라는 기본 기능 이외에 지역경제의 활성화, 지역 커뮤니티의 중심지 기능 등을 수행해 왔으며 무엇보다 시장은 무질서 한 것처럼 보이지만 생명력 있는 존재로 우리의 삶에 즐길거리와 볼거리를 제공해왔다. 그러나 1996년 국내 유통 시장이 개방되면서 다국적 대형 유통업체가 국내에 밀려들어오고, 기업형 대형 유통업체가 빠르게 발전하였는데 이때부터 실질적으로 시장이라는 전통상권에 위기가 찾아왔다고 볼 수 있다. 2003년부터 정부는 전통시장 활성화를 위해 특별법 제정을 통한 각종 지원 시책을 전개하고 있는데, 특히 2009년 특별법 일부 개정을 통해 상권활성화제도 도입과 함께 '재래시장'이라는 명칭이 낙후됐다는 이미지가 강하다는 설문조사 결과를 토대로 '전통시장'으로 명칭을 변경하였다. 그러나 개정을 통해 기존 재래시장에서 전통시장으로 그 법률적 용어가 변경되었으나 단순한 용어변경에 그치고 있어 개념 재정립의 필요성이 제기되고 있다. 시장은 역사적으로 잉여 생산물을 처분하기 위해 자연발생적으로 생성되었으나, 일부 공설시장·도시계획시설로서의 시장 등 인위적으로 개설한 시장이 존재한다. 또한 상품이나 용역의 거래가 상인과 소비자 사이의 상호신뢰를 바탕으로 이루어지는 전통 상거래 방식을 유지 또는 계승하고 있다. 이러한 점을 고려하여 전통 시장의 개념을 재정립하는 것이 필요하다.