"Up to 20 Million Won Provided"... Gangnam-gu Advances 'Small Business Internship' Program by One Month

Gangnam-gu's Representative Employment Activation Policy
Implementation from February Next Year... Recruitment Starts January 2

Gangnam-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) will implement the ‘Gangnam-gu Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) Internship’ program one month earlier than usual, starting from February next year to help revive the local economy.

The Gangnam-gu SMEs Internship program supports companies that hire one intern by providing up to 2 million KRW per month (totaling 20 million KRW) in labor costs for a maximum of 10 months. This is a representative employment activation policy of Gangnam-gu aimed at assisting struggling SMEs and unemployed individuals.

Gangnam-gu Office building. Provided by Gangnam-gu.

Recruitment of participating companies will take place from January 2 to 21 next year. Eligible applicants are SMEs located in Gangnam-gu with five or more regular employees. Basic support ranging from 1.3 million to 1.5 million KRW per month will be provided for newly hired interns. Additionally, if the intern is a Gangnam-gu resident, an incentive of 500,000 KRW per intern per month will be added, providing up to 2 million KRW in total support.

This program will initially target 150 interns, with additional recruitment planned in June considering possible mid-term dropouts. Each company can hire up to five interns, and the support will be provided for up to 10 months from February to the end of December. If an intern is converted to a full-time employee, an additional seven months of support can be received.

In 2024, 166 interns were hired through this program, with 139 completing their internships. Of those who completed, 94% (131 individuals) transitioned to full-time positions. Ninety-eight percent of participating companies expressed satisfaction, indicating that the program has been practically beneficial for both companies and job seekers.

Mayor Jo Seong-myeong stated, “We hope that the early implementation of this internship program will provide new opportunities for SMEs and unemployed youth and have a positive impact on the recovery of the local economy. We will continue to prepare various support measures for SMEs and residents to overcome difficulties together.”