[This Person] Kim Seon-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, Gains Attention for Bold Actions to Save Merchants Affected by COVID-19

36 Projects with 119.4 Billion KRW Invested... Nationwide First Interest-Free and Guarantee-Free Special Loan Support Started, 52 Billion KRW Support This Year... 35 Billion KRW Gwangjin Love Gift Certificates Issued to Promote Consumption... Seoul's First 080 Easy Phone Check-in Service Communication Fee Support, etc.

Kim Seon-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin District (left), is greeting merchants affected by COVID-19.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Kim Seon-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, has a special affection for small business owners and self-employed individuals.

Mayor Kim is actively providing support for small business owners and self-employed individuals who are going through difficult times due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and strengthened social distancing measures, earning positive evaluations from residents.

First, the district implemented a special interest-free and unsecured loan support program worth 32.2 billion KRW last year, the first of its kind nationwide, and this year has prepared and is providing support worth 52 billion KRW.

Additionally, up to 1.5 million KRW is provided to businesses in industries subject to gathering bans or restrictions, and 500,000 KRW per business is given to small business owners who closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Support is also being promoted for industries that suffered damage from COVID-19 but had been previously underserved, such as wedding halls, funeral homes, and religious facilities.

To promote local consumption, the district issued Gwangjin Love Gift Certificates totaling 23.5 billion KRW in three rounds last year, and this year is expanding issuance by 11.5 billion KRW, totaling 35 billion KRW.

So far this year, 25 billion KRW worth has been issued and sold out, with plans to issue an additional 10 billion KRW around the Chuseok holiday in September.

Furthermore, to help small business tenants facing economic difficulties due to COVID-19 by reducing their rent burden and supporting stable livelihoods, the district is conducting the ‘Gwangjin-style Good Landlord Win-Win Cooperation Movement.’

Landlords participating in the Good Landlord Win-Win Cooperation Movement receive support for elevator safety inspection agency fees up to 100,000 KRW per month for up to three months from July to December. Additionally, the ‘Gwangjin-style Small Business Landlord’ financial support provides loans up to 20 million KRW to both landlords and tenants.

The district also supports ‘Gwangjin-style Safe Restaurants’ that comply well with quarantine rules by providing masks, disinfectants, and transparent protective shields to block droplets, and supports communication fees for the ‘080 Easy Phone Check-in Service’ for businesses required to maintain entry logs.

Moreover, to support residents facing economic crises such as unemployment due to the economic downturn, the district is promoting the Gwangjin-style Happy Job Project and Hope Work Support Project, investing a total of 119.4 billion KRW in 36 projects, including prioritizing local companies in private contracts.

Kim Seon-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, “We are carrying out projects with much consideration to ensure that all residents suffering economic damage from COVID-19 can receive help without blind spots,” and added, “We will continue to discover projects that provide practical help to residents so they can regain their daily lives and livelihood stability.”

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