Entrepreneurial Small Business Owners Gathered in One Place... 'Local Festa with Raikon' Held

July 7-8, Held at Seoul DDP Design Hall and D-Sup

Entrepreneurial small business owners from across the country dreaming of becoming Laicons gather in one place to share their achievements.

Lee Young, Minister of SMEs and Startups. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that it held the ‘Local Festa with Laicon’ event with entrepreneurial small business owners on the 7th and 8th at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) Design Lab Design Hall and D-Sup in Seoul. Laicon refers to innovative companies in the ‘Lifestyle & Local’ sector aiming to become unicorns.

At the opening ceremony, plaques were awarded to 16 outstanding teams selected as strong small business owners and local creators, followed by case presentations.

Among the excellent cases at the company level, The Root Company, which makes premium potato chips capturing the taste and nature of Gangneung, and Chobless, which produces solid inner beauty drinks using fermented apple vinegar from Yeongju, attracted attention.

During the talk show, participants discussed the government’s efforts to nurture creativity-based small business owners and the impact they have on local communities and South Korea.

Coinciding with the Donghaeng Festival, a flea market was also held simultaneously. The flea market held at D-Sup on the 7th and 8th consisted of three sales zones: goods, food and beverages, and market, with about 50 entrepreneurial small business teams participating.

At Yeonnam Bangatgan Dining, connected to D-Sup, a video content screening room showcasing local identity was also set up. Visitors could watch videos containing various stories and narratives of entrepreneurial small business owners.

Lee Young, Minister of SMEs and Startups, said, “This event was organized to introduce entrepreneurial small business owners, who will be the new future of small businesses along with the Donghaeng Festival, and their creative products both domestically and internationally. We will do our best to support them so that they do not simply grow alone but connect with their communities and create new alley industries.”