"I Was Shocked Like I Won the Lottery"... What Is the 'Salpim Fund' Supporting Small Business Owners in Crisis?

Seo Eunhwon, who received support from the "Elegant Boss Care Fund" due to a triple fracture. Hope Bridge

Seo Eunhwon (52), who has been running a psychological counseling cafe in Songpa-gu, Seoul for six years, recently had to undergo surgery due to a trimalleolar fracture. Even while undergoing rehabilitation treatment, the burden of running the cafe was compounded by monthly loan repayments of 2 to 3 million won, making worries about her livelihood greater than concerns about her health. Seo learned about a program called the "Elegant Boss Salpim Fund" and decided to apply. She said, "I received a promotional text message about the program and applied without much expectation, so I was truly shocked when I heard I had been selected, as if I had won the lottery. Without this support, I might have had to close my business. Thanks to the Salpim Fund, I was able to return to my daily life."

The "Elegant Boss Salpim Fund" is a program that provides medical expense support to restaurant owners who are struggling due to unexpected accidents or illnesses, helping them to operate their businesses stably. The program is a partnership between the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association (Chairman Song Pilho), Woowa Brothers (the operator of Baemin), and Bong & Seol Initiative, and has been supporting restaurant self-employed business owners since 2022. The fund was created with a 10 billion won donation pledged by Woowa Brothers founders Kim Bongjin and Seol Bomi, combined with additional donations from Woowa Brothers.

Any restaurant owner whose household income is at or below 140% of the median income, or whose annual sales are 300 million won or less, is eligible to apply, and up to 17 million won can be provided per applicant. Last year, 630 million won in medical expenses was provided to 180 recipients. From 2022 to 2024, the cumulative amount of support has reached 3.6 billion won, with 1,034 restaurant owners receiving assistance. On average, 2.89 million won has been provided per person, helping to alleviate the burden of medical expenses and support stable livelihoods. The fourth year of the program is currently in its eighth round, with a total of 219.37 million won provided to 94 restaurant owners this year. The average amount of support per person is about 2.33 million won, which has helped to reduce medical expenses and support livelihood maintenance.

Shin Hoon, Secretary-General of Hope Bridge, said, "The Elegant Boss Salpim Fund is a system that gives self-employed business owners the strength to get back on their feet when they face difficulties due to sudden illness or accidents. We will continue to provide support so that more people do not have to give up in the face of crisis." Detailed information about how to apply can be found on the Elegant Boss Salpim Fund website.