Gwanak-gu Unites with Staff to Support Small Business Owners

All Gwanak-gu Staff Lead Local Market Consumption with Lunchbox Packaging/Delivery, Traditional Market Visits, Dining Out Days... Post-COVID Local Economy Measures Including Alley Market Revitalization and Our Neighborhood Store Arttery Support

Park Jun-hee, Mayor of Gwanak-gu, Promotes Local Currency at Nanggok Urim Market

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) has rolled up its sleeves to revitalize local consumption to help small business owners and self-employed individuals facing a livelihood cliff due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and its resurgence.

Both the district office and its employees are maintaining strengthened 'social distancing' while making multifaceted efforts to support small business owners and self-employed individuals struggling with management difficulties.

First, all district office employees practiced social distancing level 2 by using the staff cafeteria at 50% capacity during lunch, while the remaining employees encouraged consumption within the local commercial district by using lunch boxes or ordering takeout and delivery from local businesses.

Since February, the “Going Market Day” program, which involves visiting traditional markets and alley stores in charge districts to dine out and purchase goods, has been expanded from once a month to twice a month. By August, it achieved a total of 1,335 transactions worth 140 million KRW, a 147% increase compared to the same month last year.

Along with this, the “Employee Dining Day” was also expanded from twice a month to four times a month to ease the burden on small business owners facing management difficulties.

Since March, during lunch hours, employees have continuously visited restaurants and cafes affected by confirmed COVID-19 cases to share the difficulties of business owners and work to improve the perception of these establishments as safe dining places.

The total number of visits reached 309, generating approximately 24 million KRW in sales, providing tangible support to the business owners.

In particular, employees used their personal welfare points to purchase about 337 million KRW worth of Gwanak Love Gift Certificates and about 243 million KRW worth of traditional market Onnuri Gift Certificates, which were promptly used in alley markets and traditional markets, contributing to actual sales increases and consumption revitalization.

In January, the district issued the mobile local currency “Gwanak Love Gift Certificates” linked with Zero Pay for the first time with a scale of 10 billion KRW, all of which were sold out. In May, 1.5 billion KRW and in July, 6.5 billion KRW were issued, totaling 18 billion KRW, receiving high response from residents. The district is preparing additional issuance by reflecting the necessary budget in the supplementary budget to continuously stimulate local consumption.

Through survival funds supporting self-employed individuals with 700,000 KRW twice, 18,056 small business owners received 25.2 billion KRW, and 165 stores affected by confirmed case visits received 230 million KRW in cash support, implementing support policies that small business owners can immediately feel.

Additionally, projects to respond to the post-COVID-19 era have been launched. These include the Gwanak-gu regional alley market revitalization plan to help local merchants’ living spaces develop into sustainable commercial districts, the “Our Neighborhood Store Artterior Support Project” that supports design improvements for small business stores in cooperation with local artists, and a visiting consulting support project with the Seoul Credit Guarantee Foundation to resolve management difficulties of small business owners. The district plans to make every effort to quickly heal the scars of the local economy caused by COVID-19.

Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “I hope this will be a small help to self-employed individuals and small business owners who are directly affected by the COVID-19 situation,” adding, “We will continue various efforts with employees to revitalize local consumption, and we ask residents to make prompt consumption whenever possible to provide practical help to small business owners.”

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