[2025 Seoul City Budget] Strengthening Support for Small Business Owners... Enhancing Citizen Convenience and Appeal

791 Billion KRW Invested to Support Small Business Owners
53 Billion KRW Increase in Corporate R&D Investment
644 Billion KRW for Dongbu Ganseon Road Underground Project

Seoul City will inject vitality into the economy next year by supporting small business owners and micro-enterprises. It will also allocate approximately 60 billion KRW to accelerate the underground construction of the Dongbu Expressway, a long-standing demand of citizens due to frequent traffic congestion.

Looking at the 2025 budget plan announced by Seoul City on the 31st, efforts to minimize damage through support for small business owners and companies amid the economic downturn are evident. The city will invest 25.1 billion KRW to early identify small business owners in crisis and provide a package of consulting, cost support, and follow-up management for those considering closure. In particular, to help small business owners facing financial difficulties, 54 billion KRW will be spent to support the supply of new guarantees worth 2 trillion KRW, along with loan and interest subsidy support.

Investment in research and development (R&D) for companies leading innovative industries such as bio, medical, and robotics was also not spared. With a budget of 42.1 billion KRW, an increase of 5.3 billion KRW from this year, the city plans to support the development of innovative technologies for small, venture, and startup companies.

The city will also upgrade the 'Attractive Seoul' image that captivates foreigners' attention, as well as improve transportation convenience for citizens. First, a budget of 64.4 billion KRW has been allocated to accelerate the underground construction of the Dongbu Expressway, which has been a source of frequent congestion and inconvenience for citizens. This project involves constructing an underground road connecting Wolreung IC and Daechi IC, scheduled for completion by 2029, with the groundbreaking ceremony held this month. Once completed, travel time through this section is expected to be reduced by about 20 minutes.

With the addition of autonomous bus routes that have become a reliable means of transportation for citizens during late-night and early-morning hours, 4.1 billion KRW will be invested. The early-morning companion bus, which operated between Dobong and Yeongdeungpo, will be expanded to include three new routes: Sanggye to Gangnam, Geumcheon to Seoul Station, and Eunpyeong to Yangjae. Additionally, two autonomous village buses each will be introduced for Dongdaemun-gu, Seodaemun-gu, and Dongjak-gu for the first time in July next year.

Starting this year, the Seoul Moon, which rose over Yeouido, and the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) will shine even brighter from next year with an investment of 2 billion KRW to install LED strip lighting between the exterior panels. This will enable various light content to be displayed daily. Furthermore, a 'Light Trail' will be created from DDP to Cheonggyecheon, with a budget of 2.8 billion KRW planned to connect nighttime scenery continuously.