Exclusive Duty-Free Shops for Outstanding SMEs Opened at Incheon Airport Terminal 1 and 2

Small and Medium Business Distribution Center in Charge of Operations

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] Dedicated duty-free shops selling products from excellent domestic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will open at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.

Incheon International Airport Corporation announced on the morning of the 15th that it will hold an 'Opening Ceremony for Duty-Free Shops Dedicated to SME Products' in the duty-free zone of Terminal 1 at Incheon Airport. The event will be attended by Kwon Chil-seung, Minister of SMEs and Startups, Jung Jin-soo, CEO of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, and Kim Kyung-wook, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation.

The SME-exclusive duty-free shops will operate under the brand name 'Panpandaero Duty-Free Shop,' managed by the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency. A total of three locations (540㎡ in area) will be operated: one each on the east and west sides of the duty-free zone in Terminal 1, and one on the east side of the duty-free zone in Terminal 2.

Operating hours are daily from 7:30 AM to 9:30 PM. In accordance with the Act on Promotion of Purchase of Products from SMEs and Support for Distribution, the shops will display and sell products produced by excellent domestic SMEs, including cosmetics and souvenirs, traditional foods, alcoholic beverages, electronics, and home appliances.

In particular, the east side store in Terminal 1 (351㎡) is the largest among the three stores and features a separate space where passengers can directly experience products from excellent domestic SMEs, as well as a K-Hallyu Zone for overseas passengers to enjoy.

Previously, SME-exclusive shops within Incheon Airport were operated as subleased stores by mid-sized and large duty-free operators City Duty-Free and SM Duty-Free, with a total of three locations. However, operations were suspended last year due to contract terminations. In response, Incheon International Airport Corporation collaborated with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Customs Service, signed a lease contract with the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency in July, and after about four months of preparation, opened this SME-exclusive duty-free shop.

President Kim Kyung-wook stated, "The newly opened duty-free shop is the only SME product-exclusive duty-free shop in Korea, and we expect Incheon Airport, the gateway to Korea, to become a representative win-win model supporting the sales channels of excellent domestic SMEs." He added, "Going forward, Incheon Airport plans to actively establish various win-win business models that create social value, including mutual growth with domestic SMEs."