Journal of the Korean Geographical Society ISSN:1225-6633(Print) 대한지리학회지

The displacement of business tenants is of growing concern in urban redevelopment. This research focuses on why business tenants have not collectively taken action against urban redevelopment and explores how their rights can be improved. It met the research aim through a case study on one urban redevelopment area in Yongsan. Although urban redevelopment plans create many problems for business tenants, there is no effective mechanism in place to enable them to get involved in the decision-making procedures of urban planning. They are collectively and individually powerless in urban politics, so they do not have enough opportunities to change the Korean urban redevelopment system. The findings from this research suggest that many tenants have been apathetic to anti-gentrification movements due to their powerlessness in the urban redevelopment domain. In order to overcome structural injustice, it is important to improve business tenants’ awareness of ‘the right to the city’ and enforce strong legislation to safeguard tenants.