Year-End Warmth with 'Nunkkot Donghaeng Festival'... Total Sales Target of 4 Trillion Won (Comprehensive)

December 4-31: This Year's Final Donghaeng Festival Held
Featuring Local Events and the 'Warmth Sharing Campaign'

The final Donghaeng Festival of the year will be held for 28 days from the 4th of next month until the end of the year. The so-called ‘Snowflake Donghaeng Festival’ consists of events that invigorate the local economy and campaigns that share warmth with neighbors during the cold winter. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups initially set the sales target for this year’s Donghaeng Festival at 30 trillion won but has raised it to 40 trillion won.

Minister Lee Young of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (center) is taking a commemorative photo with promotional models for small business owners from traditional markets and others at the Snowflake Companion Festival briefing held at the Government Seoul Office on the 29th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 29th, Minister Lee Young of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced the Snowflake Donghaeng Festival promotion plan at the Seoul Government Complex.

First, events to boost local economic vitality have been prepared. At the opening ceremony held on the 7th of next month at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza Harmony Square, 13 regional SME and startup offices will hold product sales exhibitions together with local small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners. The proceeds will be donated.

In eleven major commercial districts nationwide, including the Gongsan Fortress commercial district in Gongju and the Duryu Youngko commercial district in Daegu, prizes will be given to customers in celebration of Christmas and the year-end and New Year holidays. Various prize events have also been prepared at traditional markets, shopping districts, and century-old stores nationwide. Additionally, live commerce broadcasts introducing hidden local attractions and products will continue throughout the event period at about 30 locations, including the Chuncheon Hoban Gymnasium and Jeonju Hanok Village.

‘Discount’ events are also included. Across more than 200 channels, including major distribution channels and public online malls, products from SMEs and small business owners, focusing on gifts, cold-weather items, and food, will be sold at discounts of up to 50%. The Donghaeng products were carefully selected by public voting to number 100. Seventy companies have pledged to donate part of the sales proceeds from the Donghaeng Festival.

Until the end of the year when the Donghaeng Festival concludes, the individual purchase limit for Onnuri gift certificates will be increased by 300,000 won, allowing paper certificates to be purchased up to 1.3 million won. Mobile and rechargeable cards can be purchased with a 10% discount up to 1.8 million won.

SMEs and small business owners will carry out social contribution activities through the Snowflake Donghaeng Festival. The Cafe Owners’ Cooperative will provide warm tea and bungeoppang (fish-shaped pastry) free of charge at the opening event of the Donghaeng Festival. Market merchant associations nationwide will share kimchi and red bean porridge at each market. Minister Lee explained, “The small business owners and SMEs empowered by the power of consumption gathered by the people have raised their hands saying that this time, we will take the lead in sharing.”

The Korea Federation of SMEs, Korea Venture Business Association, Korea Women Entrepreneurs Association, 14 distribution channels participating in the Donghaeng Festival planning exhibition, and affiliated organizations of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups have agreed to donate money or goods. The Korean Red Cross will conduct a blood donation campaign to save precious lives through warm selflessness. Woowa Brothers will join in sharing warmth by delivering holiday lunchboxes to children suffering from food insecurity.

In addition, several challenges have been prepared to support the sharing spirit of small business owners. The official social network service (SNS) challenge is the ‘1-Second Superconductor Challenge,’ inspired by the globally popular superconductor dance. It carries the meaning of wishing for the takeoff of our economy. Participation is completed by uploading a photo or video of a jump in the air holding a message supporting the Donghaeng Festival or small business owners with hashtags (#1초전도챌린지 #2023눈꽃동행축제 #동행축제) on SNS. The ‘Warmth Sharing Challenge’ promotes the Donghaeng Festival by finding nearby stores that help neighbors with good prices and good deeds.

Minister Lee Young of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups is giving a briefing on the Snowflake Companion Festival at the Government Seoul Office Building on the 29th.
[Photo by Ministry of SMEs and Startups]

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups raised this year’s Donghaeng Festival sales target from 30 trillion won to 40 trillion won. Minister Lee said, “We really tried to create sales in the tens of trillions in Korea, so we set the target at 30 trillion won,” adding, “We started wondering ‘Can we really do it?’ but thanks to a lot of help, we have achieved 29 trillion won in sales so far.”

He continued, “We aim to reach 11 trillion won in the Snowflake Donghaeng Festival and ‘change the leading digit,’” adding, “Our goal is 40 trillion won for now.”

Minister Lee emphasized, “The Ministry of SMEs and Startups must work harder, and nationwide participation is needed,” and “I ask everyone to participate in the Snowflake Donghaeng Festival with warm hearts so that no one in Korea will be left out during this truly warm year-end and New Year season in December.”

He also said, “It is not enough for all citizens to just unite their strength; they must also unite their hearts,” and “I look forward to a Korea that becomes warmer by 0.1 degrees every day from today onward.”