Seoul City Launches 3rd Cohort of 'Golmok Startup School' to Foster Young Entrepreneurs in Alleyway Boom... One-Stop Support from Training to Funding

Practical Startup Training Institution Located in Seongsu-dong Begins 13-Week Course
For 20 Young Adults Aspiring to Start Businesses in Food Service, Coffee, and Dessert Sectors

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government will start the 3rd session of the Golmok Startup School, which trains young entrepreneurs to revitalize neighborhood commercial districts, from the 19th. It is a high-density professional education combining 13 weeks of theory and practice.

The 'Golmok Startup School' is located in Seongsu-dong and is a practical startup education institution that provides theory education necessary for startups, practice, and pre- and post-startup consulting all in one place. In particular, it is equipped with classrooms for startup education, practice rooms such as kitchens, barista rooms, bakery rooms, and a shooting studio, making practical education possible.

The 20 prospective young entrepreneurs participating in the 3rd session of the Golmok Startup School are hopeful to start businesses in the highly competitive food service, cafe, and dessert sectors. They underwent document screening (1st round) and interview screening (2nd round), and the final trainees were selected by comprehensively evaluating entrepreneurial capabilities and feasibility based on business plans, related experience, and certifications.

The 3rd session trainees will receive field-oriented education consisting of ▲theory education ▲practical training ▲mentoring four times a week for a total of 13 weeks starting from the 15th of this month. To ensure efficient education, a dedicated team will operate to handle all processes from education progress and business plan establishment to funding support.

The theory education focuses on essential topics such as commercial district analysis, branding and marketing, interior design and kitchen flow, labor, and taxation. Starting this year, a close support program has been added for young prospective entrepreneurs with relatively little startup experience, where experts in the food service and branding fields help concretize business plans step-by-step from preparation to execution.

Practical training takes place in a separate practice space within the Golmok Startup School. Experts provide one-on-one coaching on trainees' recipes and offer consulting to improve proficiency as owner-chefs. Additionally, opportunities to showcase finished products in advance are provided through tasting events, and market research support is also offered.

Mentoring is a process to acquire the know-how and management philosophy of successful entrepreneurs. Trainees visit senior entrepreneurs' businesses to gain diverse experiences and receive customized mentoring. Those who complete all courses are also offered low-interest loans of up to 70 million KRW to increase their chances of starting a business.

Since its opening in July last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s 'Golmok Startup School' has produced 40 graduates over two sessions by August this year. Among the first session graduates, six have successfully started businesses in areas such as Gangseo-gu and Yongsan-gu, and ten of the second session graduates who completed the program last August are in the final stages of preparation aiming to start businesses within this year.

Kang Nam-tae, head of the Small Business Division of Seoul City, said, “The Golmok Startup School, which provides one-on-one customized education in a dedicated space based on a well-developed curriculum, aims to maximize the startup potential of young prospective entrepreneurs,” adding, “We will provide systematic support so that young entrepreneurs do not face difficulties due to unprepared startups.”

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