Jeju Beer Joins KOSDAQ Today... "First Regional Value Entrepreneur to Go Public"

Ministry of SMEs and Startups Participates in 'Local Creator Activation Project'
320 Billion KRW in Sales Last Year... Role in Revitalizing Local Economy
280 New Regional Value Entrepreneurs Discovered This Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] 'Jeju Beer,' which manufactures handcrafted beer with the unique characteristics of Jeju Island, will enter the KOSDAQ market on the 26th.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that Jeju Beer was listed on KOSDAQ, marking the first time a regional value entrepreneur has created a listed company.

Regional value entrepreneurs, also known as local creators, are startups that combine ideas and technology 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 the 'Regional-based Local Creator Activation Support Project' to discover and nurture regional value entrepreneurs in order to expand startup opportunities for local youth and revitalize the regional economy. Last year, 280 regional value entrepreneur teams were selected. These teams achieved sales of 53.5 billion KRW, created 502 new jobs, and attracted investments worth 17.4 billion KRW.

In particular, with Jeju Beer entering KOSDAQ, it has demonstrated the potential for regional value entrepreneurs to grow from representing local brands to becoming nationwide brands.

Founded in 2017, Jeju Beer has been manufacturing handcrafted beer that captures the unique characteristics of Jeju Island by utilizing the island’s natural volcanic bedrock water and tangerines. Within three years of its launch, it succeeded in placing all its products in the five major convenience store chains nationwide, growing into a leading domestic craft beer company.

Additionally, Jeju Beer has played a role in revitalizing the local economy by hiring 70 local youths as full-time employees and operating a complex cultural space where brewery tours and Jeju Beer experiences are available. Last year, its sales reached approximately 32 billion KRW, more than doubling compared to the previous year.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to discover 280 new regional value entrepreneur teams this year through the Regional-based Local Creator Activation Project.

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