Gwangjin-gu and Konkuk University Campus Town Create a Coexistence Culture for Pets

Fostering the Pet Industry as a New Growth Engine in the Era of 10 Million Pets... Promoting Pet Youth Startups and Launching a Pet Humanities Academy

Busking Lecture for Pets Held Last Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) is promoting the formation of a coexistence culture with companion animals through the Konkuk University Campus Town project.

The Campus Town project is a program that induces youth job creation and regional coexistence through university resources, public support, and cooperation with the local community.

Konkuk University Campus Town was finally selected in December 2016, and the district discussed with the university, established a project plan, and began full-scale operations in 2019.

The Konkuk University Campus Town project will continue until 2021, focusing on the culture and industry related to companion animals, a specialized field of Konkuk University, and promotes the ‘KU Companion Animal Industry and Culture Street.’

Specifically, it includes ▲ fostering youth startups related to the companion animal industry ▲ companion animal humanities academy ▲ companion animal busking lectures.

The district and Konkuk University remodeled an existing building to operate the KU Youth Startup Studio to foster youth startups, providing this space for youth startup teams.

Last year, startup clubs for residents and Seoul citizens wishing to start businesses in the companion animal or cultural arts fields were recruited, and after intensive startup education and a startup competition, four final teams were selected to use the startup studio.

Also last year, the ‘Companion Animal Humanities Academy’ was held 20 times in Konkuk University classrooms, with themes such as ‘Reading Animals through the Philosopher’s Eyes’ and ‘The History of Humans and Companion Animals.’

Along with this, the ‘Companion Animal Busking Lectures,’ an outdoor class open to anyone, were held at Konkuk University Fountain Plaza.

This year, due to the impact of COVID-19, the companion animal humanities academy and busking lectures will be conducted online.

Additionally, efforts will be intensified to support the promotion of companies and sales of prototypes by the selected startup teams.

Kim Seon-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, “As the era of 10 million companion animals arrives, the demand for companion animal culture is increasing. In this atmosphere, the district will act as a bridge between the local community and the Konkuk University Campus Town project team to foster youth startups in the companion animal industry, a new growth engine industry, and create a culture where both companion animal owners and non-owners coexist harmoniously.”

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