Ministry of SMEs and Startups Listens to Public Concerns in Traditional Markets and Shopping Districts Ahead of Seollal Holiday

Minister Oh Young-joo Holds Meeting with National Merchants Federation
Explains 'Key Policy Directions for Traditional Markets and Shopping Districts'

On the 17th, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups held a meeting with the National Merchants Federation at Dream Square in Mapo, Seoul, to listen to on-site voices regarding the livelihood issues of traditional markets ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.

This meeting was organized to provide guidance on the Lunar New Year measures announced on January 9 and to exchange opinions on the '2025 Policy Directions for Traditional Markets and Shopping Districts' as well as various livelihood issues.

The meeting was attended by Minister Oh Young-joo of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Vice President Kwon Dae-su of the Small Enterprise and Market Service, the president of the National Merchants Federation, and chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of 14 city and provincial branches, discussing various topics such as difficulties faced by markets nationwide and on-site opinions on government policies.

Minister Oh said, "I appreciate the National Merchants Federation for their significant contribution to the successful establishment of the monitoring team against illegal distribution during the process of improving the Onnuri gift certificate system," adding, "Amid recent economic uncertainties, the government is uniting all policy capabilities with an unprecedented determination to overcome the difficulties faced by traditional markets and small business owners."

Following this, there was an explanation of the '2025 Key Policy Directions for Traditional Markets and Shopping Districts' and the Lunar New Year measures announced on January 9, focusing on price stabilization, Onnuri gift certificates, and other benefits directly impacting traditional markets and shopping districts.

First, this year, the Onnuri gift certificates will be issued at a record high of 5.5 trillion KRW. Of this, 76% will be issued as digital gift certificates to increase the affiliation rate of digital gift certificates within traditional markets, and new alley-type shopping districts will be further expanded to secure more places where the certificates can be used.

In particular, during the Lunar New Year period, the discount rate for purchasing digital Onnuri gift certificates was raised from 10% to 15%. A refund event will be held when paying at affiliated stores with digital Onnuri gift certificates to reduce consumers' burden on holiday shopping prices.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to discover and foster century-old markets that serve as economic, cultural, and social landmarks leading regional development to revitalize traditional markets.

Additionally, the ministry will expand the capacity-building system for digital traditional markets at various levels and support the latest joint logistics services. For second-generation young merchants, simultaneous support for start-ups and growth will be promoted to ensure smooth business succession, along with support for inheritance, donation, and management consulting.

Lastly, to create safe traditional markets, this year the ministry plans to unify support facilities and participants for existing aged electrical wiring maintenance and fire alarm facility installation projects into a safety management package, focusing on preparing broad damage relief measures.

Lee Chung-hwan, president of the National Merchants Federation, said, "Last year was a valuable time during which our traditional markets worked closely with the government and various experts to achieve meaningful results," adding, "If the government, private sector, traditional markets, and alley-type shopping districts all work together again this year, we expect warmth to soon return to the markets."

Minister Oh stated, "This year as well, we will enhance teamwork with the National Merchants Federation to expand direct and indirect communication regarding policies and issues of traditional markets and shopping districts," emphasizing the importance of winter fire safety inspections by saying, "Disaster prevention is far more important than damage recovery, so please pay special attention."

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