Mokpo City Creates New Space for Youth Startups and Communication

Operation of “Darak” and “Nuri”
Enhancing Job and Startup Competencies

Mokpo City, Jeonnam Province (Mayor Park Hongryul) announced on the 12th that it plans to establish and operate “Mokpo Youth Shelter Darak (Darak)” as a startup and relaxation space for local youth, as well as “Mokpo Youth Center Nuri,” a customized startup support center.

“Mokpo Youth Shelter Darak (Darak)” is a two-story building (total floor area: 299.84㎡) located in Onggeum-dong. The first floor will be operated as a startup space (cafe), and the second floor will serve as a communication space.

In 2023, Park Hongryul, mayor of Mokpo (center), is breaking ground at the groundbreaking ceremony for the youth startup incubating platform (Mokpo Youth Center Nuri). Provided by Mokpo City

The first floor is open for free use by all citizens, while the second floor is a space where local youth can freely gather. About 340 books are available for reading. In addition, a meeting room is provided for gatherings and study sessions, which can be used free of charge upon reservation.

The other facility, “Mokpo Youth Center Nuri,” is a four-story startup support center (total floor area: 1,421㎡) located at 1-1 Bogwang-dong 1-ga. It consists of seven startup shop spaces (total area: 252㎡) and a multipurpose startup support facility. The startup shop spaces will be operated with usage permits and are planned to be used as individual startup shops, each with an area of 36㎡.

The multipurpose startup support facility will include various spaces to support entrepreneurs’ work and networking, such as an exhibition and shared space, a job and startup competency enhancement program room, a cultural program room, a coworking space, and a shared office.

Both facilities are expected to play an important role not only as relaxation spaces but also by providing a stable and sustainable startup environment for youth, thereby promoting the formation of local youth networks and mutual support.

Mayor Park Hongryul stated, “Mokpo Youth Shelter Darak and Mokpo Youth Center Nuri will become youth startup and welfare spaces where young people can challenge themselves, communicate, and grow in a stable environment together with the local community. In the long term, we expect these facilities to revitalize the Mokpo regional economy.”

Meanwhile, the first-floor startup space (cafe) of Mokpo Youth Shelter Darak is scheduled to begin operations between May and June after selecting an operator through a public contest. Mokpo Youth Center Nuri is set to be completed in April, with relevant departments partially relocating in the second half of the year, aiming for an official opening by the end of the year or January 2026.

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