Dongjak-gu Operates Win-Win Program Linked with Small Business Owners Amid Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic

District Promotes Apartment Community Revitalization Project with Small Business Owners

Since last month, the district has been carrying out a project to revitalize apartment communities in collaboration with small business owners.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Dongjak-gu (Mayor Changwoo Lee) is promoting a community activation project for multi-family housing together with local small business owners facing economic difficulties due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic until November.

The multi-family housing community activation project (hereinafter referred to as the activation project) was prepared to spread communication and sharing among neighbors and create a pleasant residential culture by having residents of multi-family housing directly propose and carry out activity programs tailored to local characteristics.

This year, 18 multi-family housing complexes are participating in the activation project, receiving support ranging from 2.5 million to up to 7 million KRW, operating various programs such as ▲making eco-friendly products ▲making healthy food ▲DIY workshops ▲tool library sharing projects.

In particular, since last month, the district has been promoting a ‘Leather Craft Making’ program linked to the activation project to help small business owners struggling due to COVID-19.

The program operator, ‘Iradi Leather Workshop’ located in Sindaebang-dong, has operated a leather product manufacturing factory for the past 40 years, but due to export restrictions and decreased consumption, since May, part of the factory has been converted into a workshop to seek new opportunities.

Currently, multi-family housing complexes such as ▲Boramae Woosung Apartment ▲Brownstone Apartment ▲Raemian Sangdo 3rd Apartment are participating in the program.

The program is conducted in small groups of up to 5 people once a week over a total of 11 sessions, where participants make leather craft products such as messenger bags and wallets for 60 to 90 minutes together with workshop staff.

Additionally, the district designates a quarantine officer within each group during the program, strictly adhering to daily quarantine measures including wearing masks, providing hand sanitizers, checking body temperature, maintaining a 2-meter distance between participants, and regular ventilation to prioritize COVID-19 infection prevention.

Ms. Park**, 63, a resident of Boramae Woosung Apartment who participated in the program, said, “Our apartment has been conducting various community activation projects for three years, and this program is especially meaningful because it supports small business owners struggling due to COVID-19 and allows me to create my own craft products.”

Housing Director Deungho Lee said, “Through this project, we expect to recover the local economy depressed by COVID-19 and spread a culture of communication and coexistence among residents of multi-family housing throughout the community. We plan to continue operating community activation projects by discovering and linking small business owners in various fields.”

The district is sharing the difficulties of small business owners by promoting the ‘Good Landlord Movement’ and the ‘District-wide Good Consumption Movement.’

Through the ‘Good Landlord Movement,’ over 2,500 tenant stores have received monthly rent reduction benefits so far, and efforts are being made to revitalize the local commercial district through consumption promotion events and expanded use of traditional markets.

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