Yeongdeungpo-gu to issue 2.5 billion won in 'Ddangyeoyo' gift vouchers

Seoul's Yeongdeungpo-gu will issue 2.5 billion won ($1.63 million) worth of "Yeongdeungpo Ddangyeoyo" mobile gift vouchers at 10 a.m. July 1 to help revitalize struggling neighborhood commercial districts, the district office announced.

The vouchers can be used on Ddangyeoyo, a public online food delivery app operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Shinhan Bank. Residents can order food at discounted prices, while participating small-business owners benefit from lower brokerage fees than those charged by private delivery platforms. Ddangyeoyo applies a 2 percent brokerage commission, charges no advertising fees and settles card payments on the same day, reducing the financial burden on self-employed operators.

The district is offering discounts of up to 20 percent on this round of vouchers. A 15 percent upfront discount applies at the time of purchase, and an additional 5 percent cashback is paid on transactions made at Yeongdeungpo-gu merchants registered on the Ddangyeoyo app.

Vouchers can be purchased through the Seoul Pay Plus app, with a monthly limit of 200,000 won per person and a maximum holding of 1 million won. They are valid for one year from the date of purchase and can be used via the "Seoul Delivery+" section of the Seoul Pay Plus app or directly through the Ddangyeoyo app. The district previously issued 2.5 billion won worth of Ddangyeoyo vouchers in February ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.

The 5.35 billion won in vouchers issued last year sold out entirely, and the number of participating merchants in the district grew to 2,853.

The number of users and orders has also risen sharply. The user base more than doubled, from about 65,000 in January last year to roughly 150,000 as of late May this year, while cumulative orders over the same period jumped to about 527,000. Average monthly payments in the second half of last year reached 1.17 billion won — more than five times the 210 million won recorded in the first half.

"I hope the strong discount benefits — a 15 percent upfront discount and 5 percent cashback — will serve as a reliable support for both residents and small-business owners in the second half of this year as well," Yeongdeungpo District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon said.