Seo-gu to Boost Local Small Businesses with Savings from Tightened Budgets

First Official Approval of the Year: Exclusive 5% Alley Pay Cashback Event
Mutual Growth Policy for Consumers and Small Businesses
Leading the Recovery of the Local Alley Economy

Gwangju Seo-gu reduces business promotion expenses and major event budgets to invest in the recovery of local small businesses. Provided by Seo-gu Office

Seo-gu District in Gwangju Metropolitan City will significantly reduce business promotion expenses and major event budgets, redirecting the secured funds to support the recovery of local small businesses.

Seo-gu announced that it has allocated 1.4 billion won, saved by cutting various expenses during the 2026 main budget formulation process, to a cashback event for residents and small business owners.

On January 2, Seo-gu Mayor Kim Ikang finalized and signed the 'Seo-gu Alley Pay Cashback Promotion Plan' as the district's first official agenda item for 2026. Seo-gu is the only local government in the country to offer up to a 15% discount on Onnuri Gift Certificates.

Accordingly, Seo-gu will invest a total budget of 1.4 billion won to run the Onnuri Gift Certificate cashback event for 12 weeks, from January 9 to April 2.

This event will be held at Onnuri Gift Certificate affiliated stores within Seo-gu, where customers who pay 20,000 won or more using digital Onnuri Gift Certificates will receive a 5% cashback on their purchase, with a maximum refund of 10,000 won per week.

By combining the basic 10% pre-discount of Onnuri Gift Certificates with the 5% cashback, customers can enjoy a maximum discount rate of 15%.

In particular, taking into account residents' weekend spending patterns, each week will begin on Friday, and a budget of 100 million won will be allocated per week. During the period of increased spending for the Lunar New Year holiday (weeks 5 and 6, from February 6 to 19), 200 million won will be provided each week.

Previously, at the end of last year, Seo-gu also held a three-week cashback event totaling 600 million won to boost consumption, resulting in 7.5 billion won worth of digital Onnuri Gift Certificates circulating within Seo-gu's local small business sector during that period.

Additionally, Seo-gu was the first in the country to designate its entire area as an alley-type shopping district, expanding the foundation for Onnuri Gift Certificate usage and helping residents save more than 12 billion won in living expenses.

Mayor Kim Ikang stated, "This year, we are focusing on realizing a 'good alley economy' by boldly reducing unnecessary expenses, including a 10% cut in business promotion expenses and a 20% reduction in major event budgets."