Gokseong County Holds Nation's First "Childcare Love Consumer Coupon" Launch Ceremony

Local Organizations and Groups Launch a Full-Fledged Mutual Growth Model
Consumer Coupons Provided to 115 Households with Children
Virtuous Cycle of Welfare and Local Economy Realized through Gokseong Mall

Gokseong County held the "Gokseong Mall Childcare Love Consumer Coupon Support Project Launch Ceremony" on the 8th at the audiovisual room of the Gokseong County Future Education Foundation. Photo by Gokseong County

Gokseong County in South Jeolla Province (Governor Cho Sangrae) announced on September 9 that it held the "Gokseong Mall Childcare Love Consumer Coupon Support Project Launch Ceremony" on September 8 at the audiovisual room of the Gokseong County Future Education Foundation.

The event was attended by representatives from Gokseong County and the county council, the Jeonnam Regional Office of ChildFund Korea, local agricultural and livestock cooperatives, the Gokseong County Forestry Cooperative, and representatives from businesses operating in Gokseong Mall, further emphasizing the significance of mutual cooperation.

Since the early days of joining the mall, Gokseong Mall businesses have voluntarily donated a portion of their monthly sales to ChildFund Korea, creating a structure for giving back to the local community.

This voluntary donation has evolved into a virtuous cycle system among participating Gokseong Mall donation businesses, serving as the foundation for the spread of a donation culture and revitalization of the local economy. The "Gokseong Mall Childcare Love Consumer Coupon" is the nation's first public-private partnership campaign born from this background.

This project is the first local government-led online shopping mall-based child support initiative in Korea, jointly operated by Gokseong County, ChildFund Korea, and Gokseong Mall businesses. It provides consumer coupons worth 100,000 won to 115 households with children from vulnerable groups within the county. These coupons can be used to purchase products from donation-participating businesses on Gokseong Mall, which currently offers 436 items from 55 companies, including eco-friendly rice, Korean beef and pork, melons, taro, and other local agricultural and livestock products, as well as a variety of processed foods.

The launch ceremony included a commemorative speech by the governor, congratulatory remarks from the county council chair, the head of ChildFund Korea's Jeonnam Regional Office, and the head of the Gokseong County branch of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, followed by a plaque presentation to participating businesses and a slogan performance.

In his commemorative speech, Governor Cho Sangrae stated, "The Childcare Love Consumer Coupon was made possible thanks to the voluntary donations of participating businesses. Through this project, households with children from vulnerable groups can ease their living expenses, and the consumption of local products through the coupons creates a virtuous cycle that revitalizes the local economy." He added, "We will ensure that the public-private 'donation-consumption-welfare' virtuous cycle takes root in Gokseong."

As of now, 55 businesses have voluntarily participated in the donation initiative, raising approximately 14 million won in donations, which is being used through ChildFund Korea to support childcare, education, and medical expenses for children.

The county plans to use this launch ceremony as an opportunity to strengthen the virtuous cycle between welfare and the economy and to further develop it into a sustainable mutual growth model that residents can experience firsthand.