Hope Blossoms for Self-Support Workers at CU Jeonnong Uri Branch

Dongdaemun-gu Opens Second Corporate-Linked Self-Support Work Project 'CU Jeonnong Uri Branch' on 24th -
8 Self-Support Workers Operate 24/7... Potential Future Transition to Self-Support Enterprise

The second corporate-linked self-sufficiency work project in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Lee Pil-hyung), ‘CU Jeonnong Uri Branch,’ held its opening ceremony at 10 a.m. on the 24th and officially began operations.

This project is a corporate-linked self-sufficiency work initiative aimed at providing stable jobs and securing income sources for low-income groups. It was promoted to offer participants opportunities to acquire convenience store management skills and to boost their motivation for self-sufficiency.

Following the ‘Cheonggye Novelia Branch,’ which opened last year, the second branch, ‘CU Jeonnong Uri Branch,’ will be operated 24/7 by the Seoul Dongdaemun Regional Self-Sufficiency Center (Center Director Byun Mi-sook) together with eight self-sufficiency work participants.

BGF Retail, the operator of ‘CU,’ provided support such as exemption from franchise fees and deposit guarantees.

This project holds great significance in that if its performance is highly evaluated in the future, it will be converted into a self-sufficiency enterprise allowing self-sufficiency work participants to directly engage in management.

After the opening ceremony, Mayor Lee Pil-hyung of Dongdaemun-gu encouraged the self-sufficiency work participants by selling products together at the convenience store.

The mayor stated, “Following last year, the second branch, ‘Jeonnong Uri Branch,’ has opened. I hope it achieves good results and becomes an opportunity for the self-sufficiency work participants to design a solid future and move forward vigorously. We will continue to discover and support policies to provide a foundation for low-income residents to achieve economic independence without hesitation.”

The Seoul Dongdaemun Regional Self-Sufficiency Center provides social welfare services such as case management for low-income individuals with work ability to support stable economic activities. Based on the operation of 11 self-sufficiency work projects, including one self-sufficiency enterprise, car wash business, and delivery service, it offers stable jobs linking employment and welfare to low-income residents.