Seo-gu District in Gwangju Applies Artificial Intelligence Technology to Neighborhood Commercial Districts

Business Agreement Signed at Monthly Kitchen Headquarters in Seoul on January 14
Full-Scale Launch of AI Demonstration Project for Small Business Owners
Mayor Kim Ikang: "Adding AI Competitiveness to the Neighborhood Economy"

On the 14th, Seo-gu District Office in Gwangju signed a "Business Agreement for the Promotion of AI-based Digital Transformation Demonstration Project for Small Business Owners" at the headquarters of Monthly Kitchen Co., Ltd. Photo by Seo-gu District Office Gwangju

Seo-gu District in Gwangju Metropolitan City has become the first in the nation to launch a local government-led "Neighborhood Commercial District Artificial Intelligence (AI) Demonstration Project," establishing a new turning point by adding AI competitiveness to the revitalization of neighborhood economies.

On January 14, Seo-gu signed a "Business Agreement for Promoting a Demonstration Project for Digital Transformation of Small Business Owners Using Artificial Intelligence" at the headquarters of Monthly Kitchen Co., Ltd., a food service digital solutions company located in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

Monthly Kitchen Co., Ltd. is a technology company equipped with a table order system, AI-based customer data analysis, and sales and demand forecasting solutions. The company has over seven years of experience in commercializing its services at major restaurants in the United States and supplying to leading domestic franchise brands.

The demonstration project will be carried out for approximately six months following the signing of the agreement.

Seo-gu will be responsible for administrative support, such as recruiting participating businesses and providing a testbed. During the demonstration period, Monthly Kitchen Co., Ltd. will supply participating businesses with table order devices and AI-based promotion and marketing solutions, and will also provide education, consulting, system maintenance, and technical support.

The AI sales solution provided to participating businesses goes beyond simple order and payment functions. Artificial intelligence precisely analyzes customer visit patterns and consumption data to automatically deliver customized coupons and promotions at optimal times to customers with a high probability of returning.

This project is significant in that it offers small business owners, who have hesitated to adopt digital transformation due to initial implementation costs and operational burdens, a free trial opportunity. This lowers both psychological and economic barriers to utilizing digital technology and allows for on-site verification of the potential for actual sales improvement.

After the demonstration project concludes, Seo-gu and Monthly Kitchen Co., Ltd. will allow participating businesses to independently decide whether to continue using the service. They plan to analyze the outcomes and expand the initiative as a policy to support the digital transformation of small business owners in the future.

Kim Ikang, Mayor of Seo-gu District, stated, "The administration has taken its first step in proactively discovering companies and technologies to create an environment where small business owners can embrace digital transformation without burden. We will do our utmost to transform the structure of the neighborhood economy and secure sustainable competitiveness through diverse public-private partnerships."

Kim Hyukgyun, CEO of Monthly Kitchen Co., Ltd., said, "Seo-gu's pioneering neighborhood economy policy has attracted nationwide attention, including from the President and the Prime Minister, which has also drawn the interest of companies like ours. We are deeply grateful to Seo-gu District in Gwangju for opening the door to this demonstration project, and our company will do its part to help revitalize the neighborhood economy."

Meanwhile, the schedule and detailed information for recruiting small business owners wishing to participate in the demonstration project will be announced on the Seo-gu District Office website in January.