Gwangju Chamber of Commerce's 'Business Lounge' Gains Spotlight as Business Hub

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] The Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry's 'Gwangju·Jeonnam·Jeonbuk Business Lounge' is gaining attention as a business hub even amid the COVID-19 situation.

The lounge was established at Seoul Yongsan Station in collaboration with Gwangju City and Jeollanam-do and Jeollabuk-do to support domestic and international marketing activities of local companies.

Since its opening in 2013, more than 10,000 people have visited annually, but last year, due to restrictions on the number of users caused by COVID-19, the growth slowed somewhat, with only 9,373 visitors.

However, recently showing a turnaround, as of the end of January, the number of lounge visitors (710 people) increased by 7.4% compared to the same period last year, and meeting room usage (71 cases) increased by 82.5% year-on-year, indicating a renewed increase in lounge use.

This is analyzed to be because local businesspeople highly appreciate the convenience of utilizing a space optimized for meetings and office work within Yongsan Station, aiming to conduct business activities safely while minimizing travel distances within the metropolitan area.

In particular, the Yongsan Station lounge has strengthened quarantine activities such as disinfection, temperature checks for entrants, social distancing, and user restrictions to respond to the spread of COVID-19 and to enable local businesspeople to actively engage in business activities, ensuring it remains a safe business space.

Currently, the lounge is equipped with three meeting rooms capable of presentations and a resting area, and simple office PCs, multifunction printers, and mobile phone charging are also available, with all services provided free of charge.

The lounge is located on the 4th floor of Seoul Yongsan Station and is available on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., excluding Sundays and public holidays. Reservations for meeting room use can be made through the website.

Usage is available not only to local businesspeople but also to employees of related organizations.

Choi Jong-man, full-time vice chairman of the Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry, emphasized, “Support for corporate activities must be expanded especially in difficult times,” adding, “We plan to continuously expand various services to enhance safety and convenience so that the Yongsan Station lounge can become a practical business venue where local companies can achieve domestic and international contract signings and sales results.”

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