Daejeon City to Provide Up to 1.5 Million Won per Employee for New Small Business Hires

Simplified Documentation and Online Application Significantly Improve Convenience
Applications Accepted Until November 30

Photo by Daejeon City

Daejeon City will provide wage subsidies of 500,000 won per month per employee for three months, totaling 1.5 million won, to alleviate the management burden on small business owners when they hire new workers.

The city is implementing the "2026 Small Business Wage Subsidy Program" to support local small businesses facing difficulties due to the economic downturn and rising labor costs.

Notably, starting this year, the required documents have been significantly simplified through the use of the Administrative Information Sharing System, and an online application process has been introduced to greatly enhance convenience.

The program is open to small business owners operating in Daejeon who hire new employees aged 18 or older (born before January 1, 2008) between January 1 and September 10, 2026.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until November 30, or until the budget is exhausted, with support provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Selected businesses will receive wage subsidies of 500,000 won per month per employee for three months, totaling 1.5 million won, if the newly hired worker works at least 60 hours per month, remains employed for at least three months, and is enrolled in the four major social insurance programs.

Further details can be found in the announcement on the Daejeon Biz portal for SME support, and additional inquiries can be directed to the Daejeon Job and Economy Promotion Agency.

Park Jehwa, Director of Economic Affairs for Daejeon City, stated, "As the business environment for small business owners continues to become more challenging, we hope this wage subsidy will provide practical help on the ground," adding, "We will continue to incorporate the opinions of small business owners into our policies to ensure highly effective support."

Meanwhile, the city has been continuously implementing the wage subsidy program for small businesses since 2019, and since last year, it has expanded eligibility by eliminating restrictions related to annual sales, the number of supported employees per business, and participation history.