Pocheon City Expands Pocheon Love Gift Certificate Program to Boost Local Economic Vitality

Pocheon City in Gyeonggi Province, led by Mayor Baek Younghyeon, is accelerating efforts to revitalize the local economy by channeling citizen spending into the local commercial district through measures such as increasing the recharge limit for Pocheon Love Gift Certificates, expanding incentives, and strengthening cashback payments.

Pocheon City Expands Operation of Pocheon Love Gift Certificates. Photo by Pocheon City

In particular, about 95% of the incentives and cashback distributed this year have been recirculated as local spending, demonstrating a virtuous cycle effect for the regional economy. During September, the usage amount more than doubled compared to usual, confirming the effectiveness of the "25% benefit" policy, which combines a 15% incentive with a 10% payment cashback.

The 2025 Pocheon Love Gift Certificate policy is evolving beyond a simple consumption stimulus to become a strategic tool driving the local economy. From January to August this year, the total recharge amount for Pocheon Love Gift Certificates reached 23.3 billion won, a 47% increase compared to the same period last year. The combined effects of issuance, recharge incentives, payment cashback, and paper-type discount amounts resulted in a 58.4% increase in consumption stimulation. As of the end of August, there were 8,920 affiliated stores, an increase of 1,151 compared to the beginning of the year, providing tangible benefits to both citizens and small business owners.

Additionally, starting in September, the city expanded the recharge incentive from 10% to 15% and provided 10% cashback on payments, maximizing the virtuous cycle effect on the local economy during the holiday season. The individual recharge limit is 800,000 won per month, allowing users to receive up to 120,000 won in incentives and up to 80,000 won in cashback monthly.

Of the total 2.037 billion won in incentives distributed this year, 1.937 billion won was actually used. For cashback, 1.479 billion won out of 1.402 billion won was spent in practice. These detailed figures further demonstrate that the gift certificate policy is contributing to the revitalization of the local economy.

The Pocheon Love Gift Certificate is not only stimulating consumption but also establishing a virtuous cycle of funds within the region, contributing to the management stability of small businesses and the fiscal soundness of local government. Going forward, Pocheon City plans to offer customized benefits such as agricultural product promotions and special cashback events at tourist attractions, as well as launch participation campaigns for citizens and small businesses. The city aims to spread the perception that "using Pocheon Love Gift Certificates is smart consumption," thereby further enhancing the local economy and citizen satisfaction.

Mayor Baek Younghyeon of Pocheon City stated, "The Pocheon Love Gift Certificate is a policy that reduces the cost of living for citizens while returning benefits to small business owners. I hope everyone visiting Pocheon during Chuseok will enjoy these benefits together. We will continue to create greater benefits and greater happiness together with our citizens."

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