Government launches RE:CORE project to revive declining old city centers

South Korea will begin a pilot project next year to breathe life back into old city centers emptied by population decline and weakening commercial districts.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced the RE:CORE project on the 8th. The program will combine the renewal of physical spaces with support for content, creating specialized hubs aimed at restoring key downtown functions.

One or two areas will be selected first from four regional zones and three special provinces outside the Seoul metropolitan area. The target locations are declining urban districts that serve as city centers or secondary centers and contain clusters of vacant shops where regeneration is considered urgent.

The land ministry plans to acquire vacant shops or secure them through long-term leases and win-win agreements, then turn them into revitalization hubs. Renovated spaces could house studios for cultural and artistic workers, startup facilities, shared offices, and pop-up stores. Tenants will also receive rent support during the project period. The culture ministry will use local cultural resources to develop content and provide staged support from creation and production through distribution.