74 Locations Nationwide Including Itaewon Tourist District Selected as Pilot Stores for Smart Technology Implementation

Development and Distribution of Industry-Specific Smart Technology Models, Fostering Smart Small Business Owners

Shopping district within Itaewon Tourist Zone. / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] A total of 74 shopping districts and traditional markets nationwide, including Itaewon Tourist Special Zone Shopping Street, Busan Daehak-ro Shopping Street, Daegu Seongseo Outlet Town Shopping Street, Incheon General Fish Market, and Gwangju Suwan Nadeulmok Shopping Street, have been selected as smart pilot shopping districts.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that it has selected a total of 74 smart pilot shopping districts to lead the transition to a non-face-to-face and digital economy, including 31 complex-type shopping districts that introduce both smart technology and smart order, and 43 general-type shopping districts that introduce only smart order.

These shopping districts will be developed as hubs for spreading smart stores by focusing on the dissemination of 4th industrial revolution technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and the Internet of Things (IoT) to small business operators.

In particular, a "leading store" with a support limit increased more than threefold will be introduced within the pilot shopping districts, leading the digitalization of small business operators by adopting complex and diverse technologies. Additionally, digital signage that can comprehensively guide store locations, products handled, and local attractions within the smart pilot shopping districts will be distributed to a total of 12 pilot shopping districts.

To develop and introduce standardized smart technology models suitable for industry characteristics, applications were accepted from industry associations, and a total of five associations, including the Korea Foodservice Industry Association, were selected. The selected associations will be responsible for supporting member small business operators in adopting and managing smart technologies, as well as developing smart technology adoption models specialized for their respective industries.

To resolve difficulties such as lack of information on related technologies or companies when small business operators want to adopt smart technologies, companies possessing smart technologies will be recruited from the second week of July, and support projects for smart pilot shopping districts in the second half of the year are also planned to be carried out in July.

Shin Jae-kyung, Director of Smart Small Business Development at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, "We expect that the introduction of smart technologies to small business stores will enable them to respond to environmental changes and enhance competitiveness," adding, "We will continue to expand support for the digital innovation of small business operators."

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