Jongno-gu Provides Up to 2.7 Million KRW Support for Small Businesses Affected by COVID-19

You can receive support of up to 2.7 million KRW for expenses such as material costs, promotional marketing, and utility bills to reopen your store.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jongno-gu (District Mayor Kim Young-jong) is promoting the 'COVID-19 Damage Small Business Store Reopening Support Project' to assist small business owners struggling due to visits by COVID-19 confirmed cases. The project supports expenses up to 2.7 million KRW for costs such as material expenses, promotional marketing expenses, and utility bills.

The eligibility criteria are 'small business owners of stores visited by COVID-19 confirmed cases' or 'small business owners located in buildings ordered to close due to confirmed cases' visits and outbreaks.'

The store must have been disinfected by the Jongno-gu Public Health Center due to a confirmed case visit or be a building under a closure order. However, businesses that are effectively closed or suspended, those not meeting the legal criteria for small business owners, or those excluded from small business policy fund support such as entertainment, gambling, and betting businesses are not eligible for project funding.

Applications can be made by downloading the form from the Notices and Announcements page on the district office website, filling it out, and visiting the Job and Economy Division (5th floor, 1st annex building, Jongno-gu Office, 43 Sambong-ro, Jongno-gu).

Required documents include the reopening project expense application form, damage cost expenditure statement, expenditure proof documents (transaction statements, tax invoices, card sales receipts), small business owner confirmation, and a copy of the representative’s bankbook.

The project funds will be paid later to the account under the representative’s name. If verification or confirmation of eligibility is necessary, supporting documents may be requested.

For more detailed information, please refer to the district office website or contact the Job and Economy Division.

Jongno-gu has been promoting various related projects to support small business owners in the district in relation to COVID-19. As part of this, it issued 20 billion KRW worth of 'Jongno Love Gift Certificates' to eliminate payment fee burdens for small business owners and provide discount benefits to consumers, thereby striving to revitalize the local economy.

The Jongno Love Gift Certificates, which sold out early about seven months after issuance, recorded sales of 20 billion KRW, approximately 92,000 purchase transactions, about 330,000 payment transactions, and currently, 13.7 billion KRW has been used.

Additionally, to alleviate financial difficulties and stabilize management for small business owners, low-interest 'Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund Loans' have been provided, and 'COVID-19 Damage Business Unpaid Leave Employment Retention Subsidies' have been paid.

Moreover, the 'Seoul-type Good Landlord Support Project' targets landlords who reduce rent for stores with a converted deposit of 900 million KRW or less as stipulated by the Commercial Building Lease Protection Act. The district also conducted the 'COVID-19 Response Public Work Project' for low-income groups and unemployed individuals facing livelihood crises due to infectious diseases, and 'Small Business Local Tax Support' for direct and indirect victims such as businesses struggling due to closures from visits by confirmed or quarantined cases.

Also noteworthy is the 'Living Commercial Area Development Project' selected in the Seoul city contest, which will be promoted in the Changsin-dong area for the next three years. The district plans to carry out various projects to enhance small business competitiveness to stimulate local consumption and revitalize the alley economy in this area by 2022.

District Mayor Kim Young-jong stated, “Since early this year, we have been promoting various related projects to minimize the damage to small business owners caused by COVID-19 and to overcome these difficult times together. Based on cooperation with the government and Seoul city, we will provide generous administrative support to revive the depressed local economy.”

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