Haenam-gun Sarang Gift Certificate 5th Anniversary, Cumulative Sales Surpass 600 Billion Won

8 out of 10 Residents Are Actual Users, Playing a Key Role in Local Economy's Virtuous Cycle and Revitalization

The local currency of Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do, ‘Haenam Sarang Gift Certificate’ has surpassed 600 billion KRW in sales five years after its issuance.

According to the county on the 25th, the Haenam Sarang Gift Certificate, which began issuance in April 2019, has achieved a cumulative sales record of 606.4 billion KRW to date, growing into the largest scale among county-level areas nationwide.

The Haenam Sarang Gift Certificate has played a role as a catalyst to prevent the outflow of local funds outside the region, establish a virtuous cycle of consumption within the area, and revitalize the local economy, which was stagnated due to COVID-19 and other factors.

The number of actual users of the Haenam Sarang Gift Certificate reached 43,982 as of December 2023. Based on the population eligible to purchase, this means that 8 out of 10 residents actually use the gift certificate, showing its great popularity.

(On the right) Myeong Hyun-gwan, Haenam County Governor, is purchasing goods with Haenam Love Gift Certificates at a traditional market. [Photo by Haenam County]

This is the result of creating an environment where the local gift certificate can be conveniently used anywhere within the county, and returning maximum benefits to users through discount sales secured by national and provincial government funds, making the use of the gift certificate a routine consumption behavior.

The county has steadily promoted discount sales events by securing a total of 32.5 billion KRW in national and provincial government funds over five years through active acquisition efforts. By purchasing the gift certificates at a 5?10% discounted price through these sales, consumers have directly benefited.

Additionally, the number of registered affiliated stores increased from 1,600 at the initial issuance to 3,883, establishing a foundation for residents to use the gift certificates anytime and anywhere.

For customer convenience, continuous efforts have been made to introduce card-type and QR-type certificates in addition to paper certificates, and to diversify financial institutions issuing card gift certificates, thereby expanding consumer choices.

Haenam-gun plans to issue 100 billion KRW worth of Haenam Sarang Gift Certificates this year and continues a 10% discount event from April to May to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the Haenam Sarang Gift Certificate.

Also, by receiving a national budget for incentives from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety for Good Price Stores, from May to November, a cashback event will be promoted where 5% of the payment amount is given as an incentive when paying with card-type or QR-type Haenam Sarang Gift Certificates at 19 Good Price Stores within the county.

Furthermore, for the sustainability of the gift certificates, proper use without illegal distribution is essential. Therefore, a dedicated staff will conduct monitoring through an integrated management system and respond promptly according to the manual if any abnormal signs are detected.

County Governor Myeong Hyun-gwan said, “The Haenam Sarang Gift Certificate was successfully established thanks to the affection and interest of the residents from the very first issuance,” and added, “Despite difficult economic conditions, we will strive harder to provide even a little help to the lives of residents and to make the local love gift certificate grow together with the residents.”