6th Small Business Growth Relay Meeting
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on December 24 that it held the 6th Small Business Growth Relay Meeting under the theme of "Policy Directions for Revitalizing Neighborhood Commercial Districts" at the Eungubi-seoro alley-type shopping district in Daejeon.
Lee Byungkwon, Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, is delivering a greeting at the '6th Small Business Growth Relay Meeting' held on the 24th at Dreaming Forest in Daejeon. Ministry of SMEs and Startups
This meeting was the sixth in the "Season 2: Small Business Growth-Centered Relay Meetings," which have been ongoing since November, following "Season 1: Small Business Recovery and Stability Meetings" held from July to October. Twelve participants attended, including four young small business representatives, Kakao, private sector experts on commercial districts, and academics.
This sixth session focused on the organization of neighborhood commercial districts through the formation of cooperatives, discussing directions for revitalizing local businesses.
Before the meeting, Lee Byungkwon, Second Vice Minister, toured the Eungubi-seoro area, which is branding itself as "Maengkkongi Street" by turning the local ecological resource, the narrow-mouthed toad, into content. He visited the Maengkkongi photo zone and nearby shops, encouraging the small business owners who are working with local residents to create the unique atmosphere of the neighborhood.
During the meeting, Hong Seokki, Head of the Small Business Management Support Center at Seo-gu District Office in Gwangju, gave a presentation titled "Seo-gu, Gwangju: Leading the Renaissance of the Neighborhood Economy." He shared his experience expanding designated alley-type shopping districts and Onnuri gift certificate merchants through the "Neighborhood Economy 119 Project," and emphasized the importance of collaborative networks among government, merchants, and residents.
Next, Park Hyesun, Director of Win-Win Growth at Kakao, presented on "The Progress and Achievements of the Kakao Project Regulars Initiative." She introduced cases and insights on strengthening connections between neighborhood businesses and loyal customers using the platform, and supporting the sustainable growth of small businesses.
In the subsequent open discussion, participants exchanged opinions on policy directions for revitalizing neighborhood commercial districts, as well as the challenges faced in organizing and collaborating within these districts. Various field-based perspectives were presented on the practical difficulties of voluntary organization, building trust among merchants, operating business districts in harmony with residents, and realistic tasks for creating sustainable neighborhood commercial districts.
Lee Byungkwon, Second Vice Minister, stated, "Since the conditions and characteristics of neighborhood commercial districts vary by region, it is necessary to design policies that take into account the diverse on-site initiatives and accumulated experiences." He added, "Starting next year, we will concretize this direction by establishing new projects dedicated to neighborhood commercial districts." He further emphasized, "In particular, as cooperatives are emerging as a collaborative model for neighborhood commercial districts-enabling cooperation and joint business operations among merchants-the Ministry will actively provide policy support for this approach."
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