Pohang City and Lotte Department Store Pohang Branch Join Hands to Foster Local Young Entrepreneurs

Supporting Local Young Entrepreneurs in Expanding Sales Channels and Enhancing Brand Awareness
Pohang Branch to Host Popup Store for Young Entrepreneurs for 7 Days Starting June 20

Pohang City has joined hands with a private company to expand sales channels and enhance brand awareness for local young entrepreneurs.

On June 19, the city signed a business agreement with Lotte Department Store Pohang Branch in the External Cooperation Office at City Hall to foster young entrepreneurial talent.

Pohang City and Lotte Department Store Pohang Branch Join Hands to Foster Local Young Entrepreneurs. Photo by Pohang City

This agreement was established to provide young entrepreneurs with practical opportunities to develop sales channels and to build a win-win model between the local community and major distribution companies.

The signing ceremony was attended by Vice Mayor Jang Sangkil, city officials, Kang Seongcheol, head of Lotte Department Store Pohang Branch, representatives from local universities, and young entrepreneurs.

In particular, the industry-academia cooperation groups from Pohang University and Sunrin University also participated, agreeing to support comprehensive entrepreneurship assistance including building an entrepreneur pool, entrepreneurship education, and post-growth management.

Under the agreement, Pohang City will be responsible for jointly discovering and recruiting young entrepreneurs and establishing a collaborative system among related departments, while Lotte Department Store Pohang Branch will provide and operate popup store spaces within the department store and support marketing and promotional channels.

Following the signing of the agreement, a popup store featuring five teams of local young entrepreneurs will be operated for one week from June 20 to June 26 at the food hall on the first basement level of Lotte Department Store Pohang Branch.

This popup store will showcase brands that reflect the individuality and ideas of young entrepreneurs, focusing on everyday lifestyle products such as cleaning agents, handmade desserts, tea, beverages, and wine packages.

Vice Mayor Jang Sangkil stated, "This agreement will serve as an important opportunity for young entrepreneurs to overcome barriers to market entry and enhance their brand value," adding, "It will become a leading example of collaboration between large corporations and local governments to create a local youth entrepreneurship ecosystem."

He continued, "We will continue to expand private cooperation models and provide thorough support from initial startup to growth to create an environment where young people can stay in Pohang and take on new challenges."

There are also plans for additional popup store operations, and entrepreneurs interested in participating can contact the Youth Employment Division at Pohang City Hall for detailed information.

The popup store is open to young entrepreneurs aged 19 to 39 who have an address or business in Pohang City, and those who meet certain requirements can apply to participate through a separate application process.