Inje County to Provide 2.5 Billion Won in 'Chaeweo Dream Card' Fee Support for Small Businesses... Relief Amid High Inflation

Automatic Payment for Previous Recipients, No Application Needed
County Boosts Local Economy with Local Currency Fee Reimbursements
Support Targeted at Small Businesses with Annual Sales Under 3 Billion Won

Inje County, Gangwon Province, is set to launch the "Inje Chaeweo Dream Card Merchant Fee Support Program" with a total budget of 2.5 billion won to ease the management burden on local small business owners.

Panoramic view of Inje County Office.

Inje County announced that it will accept applications for local currency payment fee reimbursement for four weeks, from March 3 to April 3.

This program was established to substantially alleviate the growing fee burden on small business owners, which has increased in proportion to the rising use of local currency, and to solidify a virtuous cycle within the local economy.

Eligible applicants are small business owners who operate Inje Chaeweo Dream Card-affiliated stores within Inje County as of the announcement date and have posted sales in 2025.

Businesses with annual sales of 3 billion won or less are eligible to apply.

However, businesses that are closed or out of operation, whose headquarters are located outside the region, nonprofit organizations, and those in industries excluded from affiliation are not eligible for support.

The amount of support will be calculated by multiplying the fee rate by the total Inje Chaeweo Dream Card payment amount generated during 2025.

The reimbursement rate will vary by annual sales, ranging from 0.15% to a maximum of 1.25%.

The most notable feature of this program is the simplification of administrative procedures.

Affiliated stores that have already received support through the same program from 2023 to 2025 do not need to submit additional application documents.

The county plans to use information on eligible businesses to automatically provide support funds, thereby reducing inconvenience for busy small business owners.

Affiliated stores that need to apply for the first time can visit the Economic and Industrial Division at Inje County Office or the township or town administrative welfare centers where their businesses are located.

For those unable to visit in person, online applications are also available via the Inje County Office website.

Since 2023, Inje County has reimbursed a total of 530 million won in fees to 879 affiliated stores through this program, serving as a key support for the local commercial sector.

In particular, as of January this year, the Inje Chaeweo Dream Card has achieved a cumulative usage amount of approximately 13.86 billion won, establishing itself as a central medium for local consumption.

An official from Inje County stated, "As the use of local currency increases, so does the card fee burden on small business owners. We hope this support will provide meaningful business stability," adding, "We will continue to implement policies that reduce the burden on small business owners on the ground and strengthen the virtuous cycle within the local economy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.