‘Jongno Sarang Gift Certificate’ Sales Exceed 10 Billion Won, Supporting Ethical Consumption

Jongno-gu's 'Jongno Love Gift Certificate' Sales Exceed 10 Billion Won to Revitalize Local Economy

Kim Young-jong, Mayor of Jongno-gu, using Zero Pay

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Jongno-gu (District Mayor Kim Young-jong) has surpassed 10 billion KRW in sales of the Jongno Love Gift Certificates issued on January 17 to revitalize the local economy, which has been stagnant due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

The Jongno Love Gift Certificates, a mobile local currency usable at Zero Pay affiliated stores in the district, were introduced to eliminate payment commission fees for small business owners and provide discount benefits to consumers, thereby injecting vitality into the local economy.

Recently, alongside the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s emergency disaster living expenses and the government’s emergency disaster relief funds, the use of these certificates has been further activated.

There are three denominations: ▲10,000 KRW ▲50,000 KRW ▲100,000 KRW, which can be purchased, used, and gifted through dedicated applications such as Beeple Zero Pay, Moneytree, CheckPay, and Nonghyup All One Bank.

To facilitate this, the district signed an agreement with the sales agency ‘Korea Easy Payment Promotion Agency’ on January 6, marking the first such agreement in Seoul.

Individual consumers receive a 7% discount per person and can purchase up to 500,000 KRW per month at a discount. However, during the special sales period at the initial issuance stage, the district is offering a 10% discount benefit until the end of June, and the purchase limit per person will be maintained at 1,000,000 KRW until July.

The Jongno Love Gift Certificates can be used at 10,000 Zero Pay affiliated stores within Jongno-gu, including the five major convenience stores (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven, Ministop, Emart24), neighborhood supermarkets, restaurants, academies, pharmacies, clothing stores, gyms, and various retail businesses. However, they cannot be used at department stores, large shopping centers, or entertainment and luxury businesses.

The existing paper gift certificates had the inconvenience of requiring consumers and sellers to visit banks to purchase and exchange certificates, and there were many issues with illegal distribution.

However, the Jongno Love Gift Certificates can be conveniently used by both consumers and sellers through smartphone apps. Additionally, if the certificate is unused, a refund can be requested within 7 days to receive the full purchase amount back.

Furthermore, using smartphones enables a contactless payment method that can prevent infectious diseases, and remote payments are possible anywhere by receiving the QR code screen via text message. In the future, the number of apps that can use the Jongno Love Gift Certificates will continue to increase, and the usage method based on Zero Pay will become even more convenient.

District Mayor Kim Young-jong emphasized, “I hope not only the residents but also office workers and self-employed people working in Jongno-gu will take advantage of the discount benefits and actively use the Jongno Love Gift Certificates. The Jongno Love Gift Certificates are the beginning of conscientious consumption that can revitalize the economy struggling due to COVID-19.” He added, “We will continue to spare no effort to promptly support survival funds for small business owners and assist self-employed people facing difficult economic situations.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.