Creation of Shared Office ‘Cheongnyeon Doyak’ in Vacant Space of Sanggye-dong to Revitalize Youth Startups
Monthly Rent up to 67,000 KRW with Maximum 2-Year Residency, No Separate Deposit or Management Fees
Applications for (Preliminary) Youth Entrepreneurs from June 12 to June 22... Support Available for Youth Aged 19-39 Residing or Operating Business in Nowon-gu
Shared Office Pre-Opening on June 13 at 2 PM and June 19 at 4:30 PM... Apply by Phone to Youth Policy Division
Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will foster youth entrepreneurs by creating a youth shared office called ‘Cheongnyeon Doyak’ and recruiting tenants.
According to the March 2023 employment trends by Statistics Korea, the number of employed youth (aged 15-29) decreased by 89,000 compared to the same month last year. However, Seoul city statistics show that the number of youth-run businesses increased by 83%, from 131,119 in 2018 to 239,963 in 2021. This suggests that prolonged economic recession and worsening employment due to COVID-19 have led youth to start their own businesses.
Accordingly, the district decided to convert vacant spaces within the region, created by the termination of existing projects, into affordable startup spaces for youth by establishing a shared office. This aims to reduce the burden of starting a business and support growth as entrepreneurs.
Nowon-gu’s youth shared office ‘Cheongnyeon Doyak’ is located on the 4th floor at 193-25 Sanggye-ro, a 5-minute walk from Exit 5 of Sanggye Station on Subway Line 4. It consists of three office spaces (6.83㎡ to 7.56㎡), a shared meeting room (11.18㎡), and a lounge area (22.4㎡).
Tenants of Cheongnyeon Doyak receive support such as ▲affordable rent up to 67,000 KRW per month ▲up to 2 years of residency upon renewal ▲no separate deposit or management fees including electricity and water ▲provision of desks and chairs for two persons, multifunction printer, internet line, etc., enabling them to challenge entrepreneurship without financial burden.
Additionally, as the first district in Seoul to operate a youth shared office directly, Nowon-gu plans to help form networks among resident youth to create a sustainable youth ecosystem.
The district is recruiting two teams of (preliminary) youth entrepreneurs consisting of 1-2 people to move into Cheongnyeon Doyak by June 22.
Eligibility requires the representative to be a youth aged 19 to 39, either a resident of Nowon-gu or having a business location in Nowon-gu as of the announcement date. Existing entrepreneurs must have registered their corporation within the last 3 years, and the final selected teams must register (or change) their business address to Cheongnyeon Doyak within one month of moving in. After document and interview screening, contracts will be signed and move-in scheduled on Thursday, June 29.
Required documents include ▲application form and group introduction ▲consent form for collection, use, and provision of personal information ▲copy of ID ▲resident registration certificate ▲(for existing entrepreneurs) business registration certificate and national/local tax payment certificates issued after the announcement date.
The district also plans to hold pre-opening tours of the shared office so youth entrepreneurs can visit the space before applying. The tours will be held twice: the first on June 13 from 2 PM to 3 PM, and the second on June 19 from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Interested youth must apply by phone to the Nowon-gu Youth Policy Division.
Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “We created this shared office at the district level to provide valuable experiences to youth dreaming of entrepreneurship,” and added, “We will continue to do our best to help youth achieve economic independence and make Nowon a place where young people want to stay.”
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