Seoul City Supports Small Businesses Affected by COVID-19... Launches 'Gwanghwamun One Team' with 14 Organizations Including Ministry of the Interior and KT

Gwanghwamun Small Business Restaurant Food Sold as Meal Kits... Companies Partially Cover Prices, Restaurants Receive Full Sales
Local Governments-Companies-Nonprofits Public-Private Cooperation Model, Joint Solution for COVID-19 Damage Support

On the 1st, as the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic increases difficulties for small business owners and self-employed individuals, signs of nearby shops are attached to a rest area cordoned off with COVID-19 access restriction tape in the Euljiro underground shopping mall in Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul Metropolitan Government, KT, and 14 organizations including companies, public institutions, and non-profit organizations near Gwanghwamun have joined forces to launch the ‘Gwanghwamun One Team’ to support small business owners severely affected by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

On the 25th, according to Seoul City, 14 organizations including five public institutions such as the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Jongno-gu District Office, Jongno Police Station, and Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, as well as nine companies and non-profit organizations including KT, Bae, Kim & Lee LLC, LINA Life Insurance, Maeil Dairies, Korea Trade Insurance Corporation, Korea Medical Institute (KMI), Community Chest of Korea, Korea Central Volunteer Center, and Seoul YMCA, announced the formation of the ‘Gwanghwamun One Team’ to support small business owners.

To this end, Seoul City will hold a ‘Gwanghwamun One Team’ agreement ceremony with the 14 organizations at KT Square in Gwanghwamun on the morning of the same day. Attendees at the ceremony include Kim Do-sik, Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs of Seoul, Koo Hyun-mo, CEO of KT, Seo Dong-woo, CEO of Bae, Kim & Lee LLC, Lee In-ho, CEO of Korea Trade Insurance Corporation, Cho Kyu-tae, Chairman of Seoul YMCA, and Kang Pil-young, Deputy Mayor of Jongno-gu. The main collaborative projects include supporting the purchase of meal kits from small business restaurants near Gwanghwamun, supporting small theater cultural and artistic performances, providing ‘Afternoon Snack of Love’ composed of small business products, and cooperating to support the online and offline marketplace of the small business sharing app ‘Nanwoojung’.

‘Gwanghwamun One Team’ will create meal kits from food served at small business restaurants in Gwanghwamun and sell them to employees of participating companies. From the perspective of employee welfare and social contribution, companies will bear part of the cost so that employees can purchase meal kits at a lower price while restaurants can increase sales at full price. Additionally, small business restaurants near Gwanghwamun will expand their sales channels by selling products through the mobile app ‘Nanwoojung’ for small business owners.

Furthermore, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and KT will support the rental of small theaters where small business owners in the cultural and artistic fields can perform. Participating companies plan to purchase performance tickets to provide viewing opportunities for employees and socially marginalized groups. In addition, Seoul City aims to create synergy through win-win cooperation by integrating the social contribution activities that the 14 organizations have been promoting individually through ‘Gwanghwamun One Team.’ In connection with donations and volunteer work by non-profit organizations, support will be provided not only to small business owners but also to socially marginalized groups.

Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs Kim Do-sik said, "I am especially grateful to the companies and non-profit organizations that voluntarily took the lead to support small business owners struggling due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic," and added, "I hope this case, which started in Gwanghwamun, will expand throughout Seoul and develop into various projects in which not only small business owners but also Seoul citizens can participate."

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