Kwon Chil-seung Meets Regional Value Entrepreneurs in Gongju... "Revitalizing the Startup Ecosystem"

Minister Kwon Chil-seung of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] On the 9th, Kwon Chil-seung, Minister of SMEs and Startups, visited the 'Maeul Hotel,' a local value creator (local creator) located in Gongju, Chungnam, to listen to voices from the field.

Local value creators are startups that combine innovative ideas based on the natural and cultural characteristics of a region to create business value. Since last year, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups has established a support project to revitalize local-based local creators, discovering and nurturing local value creators.

Maeul Hotel is operated by architects, urban planners, and publishing editors who rent and remodel vacant and abandoned houses into bookstores, cafes, exhibition spaces, and more. It provides cultural spaces and jobs for local residents and tourism services in Gongju's original downtown area for visitors.

In particular, together with other nearby creators, they have organized various experiences such as accommodation, meals, and walking tours for tourists in Bonghwang-dong, Gongju. They have organized this area like a single hotel, building a model where tourists and local residents can coexist.

Minister Kwon said, "The idea of decorating Gongju's original downtown like a theme park to revitalize it is very innovative," adding, "It is impressive that such a space is one that not only tourists but also local residents can enjoy together."

He continued, "Local value creators like Maeul Hotel are new growth engines for the region," and stated, "The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will continue to actively discover and nurture local value creators to revitalize the local-based innovative startup ecosystem."

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