[Seoul District News] Dongdaemun-gu Offers Loans Up to 50 Million KRW per Small Business and SME & 1% Interest Subsidy from District & On-site Applications at District Office B2 ‘Small Business Support Team’ from Oct 17 to Nov 11 ... Jung-gu Provides Customized Job Counseling by Professional Advisors at Community Centers from Oct 18 to Dec 1 ... Songpa-gu Hosts ‘2022 Songpa-gu Job Fair’ at Munjeong Culture Valley on Oct 19 at 2 PM
[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Ilhyeong Lee) is implementing a loan support program in cooperation with Seoul Credit Guarantee Foundation Dongdaemun Branch and Woori Bank, providing a total of 2 billion KRW in commercial bank cooperative funds to stabilize management and alleviate financial difficulties for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small business owners in the area who are struggling due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
The support targets small business owners and SMEs with more than six months of business experience located in Dongdaemun-gu, who can apply for loans up to 50 million KRW per company.
The total loan amount is 2 billion KRW, with a variable bank interest rate applied, and repayment is structured as a one-year grace period followed by three years of equal installments. The district covers 1% of the interest to reduce the loan burden.
Small business owners and SMEs wishing to apply for loans can download the application form from the ‘Notices & Announcements’ section on the Dongdaemun-gu website, fill it out, and submit it along with necessary documents such as business registration certificates and VAT tax base certificates in person at the ‘Small Business Support Team’ on the basement level 2 of Dongdaemun-gu Office from the 17th of this month until the 11th of next month.
Submitted loan applications will be reviewed by the Small and Medium Business Promotion Fund Operation Deliberation Committee to decide on support eligibility, and the loan amount will be finally determined within the repayment capacity of the selected companies.
For more details, please check the ‘District News’ and ‘Notices & Announcements’ sections on the district office website or contact the ‘Small Business Support Team’ at the district office.
Park Sangjin, Director of the Economic Promotion Division, stated, “We have implemented this loan support to provide some assistance to small business owners who are facing difficulties due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to seek various support measures so that small business owners do not lose hope and can continue their businesses.”
Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Gilseong Kim) will conduct customized employment counseling by visiting residents seeking jobs directly.
The program runs from October 18 to December 1, every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM.
Professional employment counselors will visit 12 community service centers and welfare centers to consult with job seekers and assist them in securing employment. This time, the program plans to provide job vacancy information from local small business owners to address both job seekers and employers simultaneously.
The district will manage the job-seeking information collected through the visiting counseling to promptly connect residents to suitable jobs. Utilizing the Jung-gu Job Plus Center, it will also provide guidance on how to find jobs. Through in-depth counseling, customized job recommendations will be made, and if necessary, educational institutions will be introduced. Major job sectors in Jung-gu such as sewing and security guard positions will also be promoted. If there is advantageous information for job seekers from the Ministry of Employment and Labor or Seoul city projects like the National Employment Support System, separate guidance will be provided.
For more details, contact the Jung-gu Office Urban Industry Division, Jung-gu Job Plus Center, or the local community service center where you reside.
In the first half of 2022, 129 consultations were conducted by visiting 11 community service centers. Some cases led to actual employment. For example, a resident who received job counseling at the Jungnim-dong on-site counseling office in July was working in a fixed-term position that was about to end and needed a new job. After in-depth interviews with a professional counselor, the resident was recommended a caregiver position and successfully employed. They are currently working as a home care worker.
Jung-gu Mayor Gilseong Kim said, “Due to COVID-19, we have not been able to actively meet job seekers. Starting in October, the visiting job counseling office will meet more residents to help them find employment and strive to support them in leading stable lives.”
Songpa-gu (Mayor Gangseok Seo) will hold the ‘2022 Songpa-gu Job Fair’ at 2 PM on the 19th at the Sunken Plaza of Munjeong Culture Valley near Munjeong Station.
The district planned this event together with the Seoul Eastern Employment Welfare Plus Center to support youth employment, expand local talent recruitment opportunities, and revitalize Munjeong Biz Valley, which houses about 3,000 new growth engine industry companies in IT convergence, bio, and green industries.
Notably, 30 companies representing various sectors such as hotels and food service, IT, distribution, transportation, and manufacturing?including Sofitel Ambassador Seoul, Coffee Bean Korea, KTCS, Hansol Textile, and Jin Mobility?will participate in the job fair, conducting one-on-one on-site interviews to hire approximately 500 talents.
The district selected participating companies after receiving advance applications from companies with recruitment plans for the second half of the year and reviewing working conditions and business stability. Detailed job vacancy information including recruitment fields, job duties, and qualifications can be found on the Songpa-gu Office website.
Additionally, a special lecture by Yongmin Jo, a director at the global IT company Google and author of the bestseller “Unbound,” is scheduled. Under the theme “The Center of Creative Thinking, Unbound Yourself,” the lecture is expected to provide vivid information on the conditions to become a global talent and ways to strengthen personal capabilities.
Other programs include ‘Customized Employment Consulting by Job Seeker Type’ conducted by eight employment support facilities such as Songpa ICT Youth Startup Support Center, Songpa Women’s Career Transition Center, Songpa Senior Consulting Center, and Songpa Disabled Vocational Rehabilitation Center; resume photo shoots; hair & makeup; and fingerprint aptitude tests.
The ‘2022 Songpa-gu Job Fair’ is open to all job seekers wishing to find employment, and those who pre-register with the Songpa Job Center can have interviews at their preferred times.
Songpa-gu Mayor Gangseok Seo said, “This job fair will provide local companies with opportunities to discover talent and serve as a stepping stone for residents to succeed in employment, revitalizing the stagnant job market. We will continue to promote various job support policies to create a virtuous cycle of economic and social value, making Songpa-gu a fountain of jobs.”
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