Gyeonggi-do Offers 10% Refund for Local Currency Payments at Local Bookstores

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province is conducting the "Local Bookstore Local Currency Consumption Support Project," which refunds 10% of the payment amount when paying with local currency at local bookstores in the province starting this month.

Since 2017, Gyeonggi Province has been implementing the nation's first local bookstore certification system to revitalize the book ecosystem. Currently, 342 offline local bookstores in the province, excluding large franchise bookstores, online bookstores, and book distribution companies, have been certified. About 280 local bookstores that are affiliated with local currency in the province are participating in this project.

Consumers can receive 10% (up to 30,000 KRW) of the local currency payment amount at Gyeonggi-certified local bookstores back in the form of mileage in the respective city or county's local currency. Considering existing local currency incentives, this means purchasing books is much cheaper than buying from online or large bookstores.

However, the refunded consumption support funds are not automatically used; users must register and use them through the local currency mobile app, so checking the mobile app is essential.

In particular, Gimpo City, where the local currency operator is changing, will start providing consumption support funds from June 14. Seongnam and Siheung, where the local currency operators differ, plan to provide the funds in a lump sum one month after payment. If the consumption support funds are not used within three months after payment, they will be reclaimed.

This project, introduced this year, will continue until the end of the year and will end early if the budget is exhausted. The province has placed notices at the local bookstores to help users easily check whether the bookstore is affiliated with local currency.

A provincial official said, "Through this local bookstore local currency consumption support project, we hope many residents will get closer to books and that local bookstores will establish themselves as complex cultural spaces within the region."

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