Mobile QR Code QR CODE : Journal of the Urban Design Institute of Korea
Title Analyzing the Current Status and Types of Food Deserts in Sejong City - Focusing on the Proximity and Availability of Food Retail Stores
Authors 김나현(Kim, Na Hyun) ; 김충호(Kim, Chung Ho)
DOI https://doi.org/10.38195/judik.2025.10.26.5.5
Page pp.5-22
ISSN 15980650
Keywords 식품 사막; 식품 접근성; 근접성; 가용성; 군집분석 Food Desert; Food Access; Proximity; Availability; Cluster Analysis
Abstract Recent growing interest in food deserts in Korea has reflected changes in urban structure and the food industry, yet theoretical and empirical challenges remain in applying this concept to the domestic context. Although food deserts are generally defined as areas with limited access to fresh food, there is no consensus on the criteria for classifying food retail stores, resulting in inconsistencies across studies. This study classified food retail stores in Sejong City into three categories-general retail, single-item retail, and convenience stores-and measured food accessibility in terms of proximity and availability. Using these variables, a K-means cluster analysis identified six types of food deserts. The results indicate that food desert types can be distinguished by spatial distribution and land-use characteristics, and their relationships with demographic and socioeconomic indicators such as population density, aging rate, and land value were also examined. This exploratory study contributes to contextualizing food deserts within Korea and provides policy implications tailored to urban spatial characteristics of Korean cities.