Opening of Gwanak-gu Social Economy Market 'Kkum Market'

[Seoul District News] Gwanak-gu Reopens Social Economy Market 'Kkum Market' After 3 Years Due to COVID-19 Hiatus; Social Economy Promotion and Resident Participation Booths, Food, Entertainment, and Activities Galore... Geumcheon-gu Chamber of Commerce with 26 SMEs and Small Business Owners Participating to Promote and Sell Products

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee)'s representative social economy market, 'Ggum Market,' will open for two days from the 15th to the 16th at the Gwanak-gu Office Plaza, marking its return after three years since the outbreak of COVID-19.

'Gwanak Ggum Market' is a leading social economy market in the southern region of Seoul and a flagship social economy sales support project of Gwanak-gu.

Social enterprises, cooperatives, and self-support enterprises, which are central to the social economy, plan and operate the market themselves, selling products they have directly made. Furthermore, it serves as a venue to provide various information to foster residents' empathy toward the social economy.

Since its first opening in 2013, the offline market has been held a total of 40 times, with about 250 social economy enterprises participating and achieving sales of 970 million KRW.

Especially since 2020, when COVID-19 spread, the 'Ggum Market Online Store' was launched on Kakao and Naver, effectively supporting the sales channels of social economy enterprises facing economic difficulties due to the pandemic.

In this Ggum Market held after three years, about 20 companies will participate, offering a variety of social economy products such as handmade crafts by local artists, accessories, daily necessities, processed foods, and environmentally friendly food items across 40 booths.

Additionally, on-site live commerce will be conducted to raise awareness of the social economy, along with promotional and experiential events, creating a space for enjoyment and rich experiences.

The district is making multifaceted efforts to 'revitalize the social economy' as part of the 8th term mayoral pledge projects. Starting next year, the number of 'Ggum Market' events, which were held 10 times annually, will be expanded to 12 times, expected to significantly enhance the promotion and sales of social economy enterprises.

A district official said, "Ggum Market is not just about sales but a place to increase residents' interest and improve awareness of the social economy, so we hope many residents will participate."

Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon) announced that the Geumcheon-gu Chamber of Commerce held the '2022 Small and Medium-sized Business Sales Exhibition' at the Geumcheon-gu Office Plaza from the 9th to the 10th.

The Small and Medium-sized Business Sales Exhibition was organized to promote products of small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners and to support the development of sales channels.

A total of 26 companies participated in this event, with products for direct transactions including blankets and bedding, cosmetics, clothing, accessories, bags, kitchenware, electric bicycles, and disinfectants.

Yoo Sung-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, said, "Congratulations on holding the Small and Medium-sized Business Sales Exhibition after three years. The district will continue to support the promotion and sales channel development of products from small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners."

For more details on the Chamber of Commerce activities and support for small and medium-sized businesses, please visit the Geumcheon-gu Chamber of Commerce website or contact them by phone.