Haenam County, Cumulative Sales of Haenam Sarang Gift Certificates Surpass 700 Billion Won

Achieved the Fastest Milestone Among County-Level Regions Nationwide

Haenam County in South Jeolla Province (Governor Myung Hyunkwan) announced on the 27th that the local currency, Haenam Sarang Gift Certificate, has reached a cumulative sales total of 700 billion KRW in just six years since its launch.

Since its issuance began in April 2019, the Haenam Sarang Gift Certificate has achieved a cumulative sales record of 723.2 billion KRW, the fastest among county-level regions nationwide.

Introduced to prevent the outflow of local funds and establish a virtuous economic cycle within the region, the Haenam Sarang Gift Certificate has become a staple of daily life, with 8 out of 10 residents using it, and has established itself as a key driver of the local economy.

In April 2019, the Haenam Love Gift Certificate issuance proclamation ceremony was held. Photo by Haenam County

This achievement is attributed to the creation of an environment where the local gift certificate can be conveniently used anywhere in the county, as well as to discount sales made possible by securing national and provincial funding, which have maximized benefits for users and made the use of gift certificates a routine consumption pattern.

The county has actively worked to secure affiliated merchants in order to provide a convenient usage environment for Haenam Sarang Gift Certificate users, laying the foundation for residents to use the certificates anytime and anywhere.

The number of affiliated merchants for the Haenam Sarang Gift Certificate has increased from 1,600 at its initial issuance to over 3,900, reaching a level where there are no difficulties in using the certificates even in the most remote areas of the county.

Furthermore, Haenam's practice of distributing various policy subsidies?including disaster relief funds, the nation’s first agricultural and fisheries public benefit allowances, and the current livelihood economic recovery support payments?via local gift certificates has enabled funds to circulate within the region, and is considered a model for exemplary gift certificate operation that has spread nationwide.

The county has continuously promoted discount sales events by actively attracting national and provincial funding, allowing consumers to purchase gift certificates at a 5-10% discount, effectively returning benefits directly to the users.

To boost the recovery of the stagnant local economy and promote local consumption, the county plans to continue the 10% discount on purchases up to 1 million KRW in March, following similar events in January and February. In addition, a 5% cashback will be provided year-round for payments made with card or QR-type gift certificates, giving users of these types a total benefit of 15%.

Governor Myung Hyunkwan stated, "Thanks to the enthusiastic response and active use of local gift certificates by residents, we have been able to lay the foundation for revitalizing the local economy," and added, "We will continue our efforts to ensure that the Haenam Sarang Gift Certificate brings smiles to both residents and small business owners, and breathes warmth into the frozen local economy."

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