Uljin Eases Card Fees to Revitalize Local Small Businesses

Up to 400,000 Won Support for Small Businesses with Annual Sales Under 500 Million Won
Applications Open Starting the 18th

Uljin County in North Gyeongsang Province has taken steps to ease the burden on local small business owners struggling with the economic downturn and declining consumer spending.

The initiative aims to deliver tangible management stability by reducing the accumulated burden of card transaction fees amid the growing share of card payments.

Uljin County Office
Photo by Byunggun Kwon

Uljin County announced that starting from the 18th, applications for the 'Card Fee Support Program' will be accepted from local small business owners.

This program was established to lessen the fixed expenses of micro-business owners suffering from ongoing high inflation and high interest rates, and to serve as a catalyst for the recovery of the local commercial district.

Eligible applicants are small business owners whose annual sales are 500 million won or less as of 2025.

The support amount will be calculated at a rate of 0.4% to 1% of card sales revenue for 2025, with a minimum of 50,000 won and a maximum of 400,000 won provided per business.

The program will run until the allocated budget is exhausted.

Applications can be submitted through the online platform 'haengbokcard.kr', and are also accepted in person at the Eastern Branch of the Gyeongbuk Institute for Economy & Industry, the industry teams of town and township offices, and the Uljin County Small Business Association.

However, since application priority is determined by the order of online registration, it is expected that business owners seeking swift support will primarily apply online.

Applicants must submit a copy of their business registration certificate and a copy of their bank account, and after review, the support funds will be deposited into an account under the business owner's name.

Businesses that are not registered, those unable to use an account in the owner's name, those without card sales records from the previous year, and certain sectors such as entertainment and gambling are excluded from eligibility.

An Uljin County official stated, "Now is a more important time than ever for practical support policies that local small business owners can truly feel," and added, "We hope this program will help reduce business burdens and revitalize the local commercial district."

Local economic experts also note that this support program could serve as a policy signal that provides real liquidity to regional commercial districts where consumer recovery has been slow, rather than being just a one-off measure.

In particular, for small shops highly dependent on card payments and thus facing accumulated fee burdens, this direct support method is expected to have a noticeable impact.

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