Addition of 3 Startup Support Facilities in the Daehak-dong Area of Gwanak-gu

[Seoul District News] Creation of Startup Spaces for up to 30 People in Sillim Startup Valley, Establishing It as a Leading Venture Valley... Jongno-gu Operates Free Startup Consulting Program for Early and Prospective Entrepreneurs... Yongsan-gu Provides 1.5 Million KRW per New Hire for Re-entrepreneur Small Business Owners... Gwangjin-gu Recruits 2nd Cohort for General Security Guard Training for 50+ Employment Support... Eunpyeong-gu Adds Residents for Silver Housing for Elderly Living Alone

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwanak-gu is accelerating the project by conducting detailed design for the additional establishment of startup support facilities in the Daehak-dong area.

The currently detailed-designed ‘Daehak-dong Startup Support Facility I (Hoam-ro 22-gil 32)’ is planned to be a building with 1 basement floor and 5 above-ground floors, covering an area of 1,118.21㎡. Floors 3 to 5 will be designed as tenant spaces, the basement floor 1 will include a seminar room, and floors 1 and 2 will be designed to include an information desk, operation office, meeting rooms, and rest areas.

‘Daehak-dong Startup Support Facility I’ aims to complete the detailed design by the end of June, start construction in July, and complete by December. Facilities II (Hoam-ro 22-gil 26, area 640.1㎡) and III (Hoam-ro 26ga-gil 46, area 820.91㎡) are also scheduled to complete detailed design by July, start construction in August, and complete by December, proceeding sequentially.

In particular, unlike existing facilities, this startup support facility plans to create startup spaces accommodating growth companies with a capacity of up to 30 people, enabling 15 competitive startup companies to settle in the district.

So far, as early-stage startups have grown, their workforce has expanded, but due to a lack of space in the district to accommodate them, growth companies have been moving to other areas, limiting the attraction of excellent companies. The addition of these three startup support facilities is expected to greatly alleviate difficulties caused by space shortages.

Besides expanding space to attract growth companies, the district actively supports the growth of venture and startup companies through various methods such as holding regular demo days, expanding commercialization fund support, and providing technical consulting support.

A district official said, “We will do our best to ensure that early-stage startups growing locally can settle in Gwanak-gu and continue to grow steadily even after reaching a certain scale.”

Jongno-gu will operate a ‘Free Startup Consulting Program’ for early and prospective entrepreneurs from the 16th of this month until December this year.

This is part of the 2022 New Middle-aged Career-type Job Project, aiming to fully utilize the expertise of the new middle-aged generation and support those wishing to start a business to receive consulting free of charge without financial burden.

Prior to this, Jongno-gu selected two consultants to create quality jobs utilizing the careers and expertise of middle-aged people aged 50 and over.

Early-stage entrepreneurs and prospective entrepreneurs interested in startups can receive consulting from middle-aged consultants in areas such as finance and accounting, marketing, and startup support projects.

The method is to make a prior reservation either through the Jongno Youth Startup Center (photo) or by emailing the person in charge, then visit the Youth Startup Center (5th floor, 3 Saemunan-ro 3-gil, Jongno-gu) in person.

The Youth Startup Center operates from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. Detailed information is available on the Jongno Cultural Foundation website and blog.

Meanwhile, the Jongno Youth Startup Center, opened in January 2020 to support young entrepreneurs, covers an area of 595㎡ and consists of 6 independent office rooms (4 people per room), 24 open office seats, 2 meeting rooms, and a community lounge. It creates local infrastructure for youth startups and handles related counseling, education, mentoring, resident company networking, performance sharing meetings, and investment attraction support for nurturing entrepreneurs.

A district official said, “This meaningful project provides jobs for retired middle-aged people with expertise and offers a precious opportunity to early and prospective entrepreneurs who wanted startup consulting but felt burdened by costs. We will continue to strive to revitalize the startup ecosystem and prepare various programs for local youth dreaming of entrepreneurship.”

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) is providing employment incentives for small business owners who have reopened after closing due to COVID-19.

This is to provide a stepping stone for small business owners to restart and to add momentum to the recovery of the local economy following the easing of social distancing measures.

The support amount is up to 1.5 million KRW per newly hired employee. Applications can be made after 3 months from the new hire date, and the support fund is paid upon confirmation of maintaining employment insurance for 3 months after application. There is no limit on the number of applicants per company.

A district official said, “Those who hired new employees in January or February can submit applications in May. Employment insurance maintenance will be confirmed by the end of July, and support funds will be paid in August.”

The employment incentive support will continue until the budget is exhausted. Those wishing to apply can submit their application forms at the 4th floor reception desk of the district office (in front of elevator No. 1). Email, fax, and postal applications are also accepted. Related forms are posted in the news section of the district website.

This employment incentive, implemented for the first time this year, supports small business owners who reopened after closing since 2020 and hired new personnel this year.

Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, “Previous employment incentives focused on hiring regular employees, leaving blind spots. We hope this project supporting small business owners will be a stepping stone for economic recovery.”

Gwangjin-gu is recruiting participants for the 2nd session of the ‘General Security Guard New Employee Training’ program.

This training is designed to provide employment competency enhancement education targeting job seekers aged 50+ with strong reemployment will, to cultivate practical professional personnel and provide practical employment support services for middle-aged and older adults through job matching.

The training content includes mandatory legal education required to work in security jobs, covering 11 courses such as ▲Security Business Act ▲Crime Prevention Theory ▲Escort Security Practice.

The target is residents who wish to work in the security industry. Those wishing to participate can apply by visiting the Gwangjin-gu Job Center located in Gwangjin-gu Office with required documents from May 23 to June 10. Participants will be selected within about 30 people, reflecting job-seeking period, counseling content, and whether they belong to vulnerable employment groups.

The training will be conducted for 3 days from June 15 to 17, 8 hours per day, and the training fee is fully covered by the district.

All trainees who complete the training will receive a certificate of completion for the security guard new employee training. To support employment, the training institution and Gwangjin-gu Job Center will provide one-on-one job counseling and job placement in the security industry by professional counselors.

Previously, the district conducted the 1st session of ‘General Security Guard New Employee Training’ in April, with 21 participants all completing the course.

Recruitment announcements and submission documents can be found on the Gwangjin-gu website. For inquiries, contact the Gwangjin-gu Job Policy Division or Job Center.

The district plans to actively discover industries with high demand for job seekers and employers among the 50+ generation with strong reemployment will and continuously implement necessary employment support programs.

Eunpyeong-gu announced additional recruitment of residents for the remaining 4 units of the customized public housing ‘Eunbit Housing 1 & 2’ for single elderly recipients of basic livelihood security without housing.

‘Eunbit Housing’ is a customized public rental housing project supplied at low deposit and rent through cooperation between the district and Seoul Housing & Communities Corporation (SH) to solve housing problems for single elderly people.

The recruitment period is from the 30th of this month to June 8. The total number of units is 4, consisting of studio-type housing with exclusive areas ranging from 18.91 to 30.84㎡. Currently, ‘Eunbit Housing’ operates a total of 26 units in Gusan-dong, with 11 units in the 1st complex and 15 units in the 2nd complex.

Applicants must be elderly recipients of basic livelihood security aged 65 or older and must be homeless as of the announcement date. Extra points will be given during the residency screening if the applicant currently lives in poor housing conditions such as a goshiwon (small lodging house).

Applications can be submitted by visiting the local community service center with the application form, resident registration and family relation certificates. Winners and alternates will be announced on June 22.

Selected residents will sign a 2-year lease contract, which can be extended up to 20 years in total through 9 renewals if eligibility is maintained.

For further inquiries, check the announcement board on the district website or contact the district’s Elderly Welfare Division or the local community service center.