Dong-gu, Gwangju: Dongmyeong Youth Creative Center Grows into Leading Platform for Youth Entrepreneurship

49 Entrepreneurs Produced, 94% Business Continuation

A special lecture on startup networking titled 'Soaking into the Creative Space' is being held at Dongmyeong Youth Creative Center in Dong-gu, Gwangju. Provided by Dong-gu, Gwangju

Dong-gu, Gwangju’s Dongmyeong Youth Creative Center, a youth entrepreneurship support hub operating in Dongmyeong-dong, has quickly achieved remarkable results and is establishing itself as a leading model for youth entrepreneurship in the region.

According to Dong-gu, Gwangju on January 20, Dongmyeong Youth Creative Center has produced a total of 49 young entrepreneurs across five cohorts of its commerce startup education program, “Commerce Building,” since 2024. Of these, 94% have continued their businesses without closing down. Considering that the average three-year survival rate for startups typically remains in the 40% range, this is an exceptional figure. Notably, the average annual sales growth rate for participating companies in their first year after founding has reached 206.8%.

Young CEOs Who Grew Through Overcoming Failure

Noh Daegon, CEO of “Pigmit” and a graduate of the third cohort of Commerce Building, launched a business in Korean beef and meat processing but had virtually no sales during the first six months.

Noh recalled, “I didn’t know anything about distribution channels, and my brand concept was a mess. I just thought, ‘As long as I sell good Korean beef, it will work.’” After participating in the third cohort of Commerce Building and receiving one-on-one coaching from a team of expert mentors, he completely redesigned his brand and surpassed 200 million won in sales within six months of completing the program. Currently, he is expanding his business with three employees while based in the Dongmyeong Youth Creative Center’s coworking space.

There are about 10 other outstanding companies that have passed through Dongmyeong Youth Creative Center. IT development company “Linesoft” has established a stable foundation with annual sales of 12 million won, and specialty coffee brand “Leather Good Coffee” is preparing to collaborate with the e-book platform “Millie’s Library.”

The center’s flagship program, “Commerce Building,” is a hands-on, 12-session (approximately two months) commerce startup education course for aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs. Up to the previous year, five cohorts had been conducted, with about 12 young participants per cohort learning the entire process-from business plan writing and brand design to distribution and marketing-through practical exercises alongside expert mentors.

The core of the program is “practice over theory.” The mentor team analyzes participants’ actual business items and helps design brand strategies and distribution channels that will work in the market. Companies in the recently completed fifth cohort of Commerce Building collaborated with Chosun University’s RISE Business Group to participate in the 11th Startup Expo in Gwangju, gaining real-world experience in sales and promotion on-site.

An Ecosystem of Collaboration Created by 113 Young People

Dongmyeong Youth Creative Center is focusing not only on education and space support, but also on creating a startup ecosystem where collaboration is part of everyday life.

This year, 113 young people participated in the monthly startup networking lecture “Soaking into the Creative Space,” held on the last Wednesday of each month, achieving a satisfaction score of 4.72 out of 5. In this program, senior entrepreneurs openly share their practical know-how and experiences with failure, and it is evaluated as a “networking-centered growth model” where collaboration among participants naturally follows.

The “D-MADE Audition,” which is the next growth stage for Commerce Building graduates, is a program focused on strengthening branding, pitching, and investment capabilities. Teams selected through preliminary rounds, coaching, and final auditions receive substantial follow-up support such as promotional content production, investment matching, and assistance with related public contests. Dong-gu plans to further expand this program this year and operate it as the center’s flagship branding program.

2026 Keywords: “Sustainability” and “Collaboration”

Starting this year, Dongmyeong Youth Creative Center is preparing the next phase of youth entrepreneurship support with “Sustainability” and “Collaboration” as its core keywords.

First, to ensure sustainability, the center will establish a growth system tailored to each stage of entrepreneurship. “Commerce Building START” will help aspiring entrepreneurs take their first steps, while “Commerce Building UP” will support business advancement for existing entrepreneurs. Even after completing the educational programs, follow-up support such as the D-MADE Audition, investment matching, and public contest linkage will continue, so that the center functions as a “continuous growth platform” rather than a one-off educational program.

On the collaboration front, the center will create a structure where youth entrepreneurs grow through collaboration rather than working alone, by operating a “Sustainable Networking Program” involving resident companies, graduates, and mentors. The goal is to build a model where the startup ecosystem that began in Dongmyeong spreads throughout Gwangju through joint branding among youth startup teams, linkage with local resources, and collaboration between companies and institutions. In particular, by strengthening a “virtuous cycle structure” where graduates and resident companies return as mentors for new entrepreneurs, the center aims to ensure that successful startup experiences are reinvested into the local startup ecosystem.

An official from Dong-gu stated, “Dongmyeong Youth Creative Center is more than just a space-it is a platform that creates an ecosystem where young people can stay, grow, and collaborate. This year, we will complete a step-by-step startup support system including Commerce Building START, and actively support the spread of youth entrepreneurship that began in Dong-gu nationwide through a sustainable collaboration model.”