Songpa-gu rolls out W10b in 'Songpa Sarang' & 'Songpa Ddaenggyeoyo' gift certificates for chuseok

Songpa-gu in Seoul will issue "Songpa Sarang" and "Songpa Ddaenggyeoyo" gift certificates ahead of chuseok.

Holidays are when local consumer spending peaks for the year. Shoppers stock up for ancestral rite tables, dine out and order delivery more often, while rising prices for seasonal goods push up household spending.

In response, the district issues both gift certificates ahead of every major holiday to ease residents' grocery cost burden and add vitality to local commerce.

The Songpa Sarang gift certificate goes on sale Wednesday at 5 p.m. The district will issue 10 billion won ($7.46 million) worth, with Songpa-gu residents able to buy them at a 5 percent discount. The purchase limit is 500,000 won per person.

The certificates can be used at about 31,000 Seoul Pay Plus affiliated stores across the district, spanning traditional markets, neighborhood marts, restaurants, and clinics and hospitals. Hypermarkets and department stores are excluded.

The Songpa Ddaenggyeoyo gift certificate is exclusively for use on Ddaenggyeoyo, a public online food delivery platform. It has been on sale since Sept. 1, with 1 billion won worth issued. Ddaenggyeoyo charges lower brokerage fees than private delivery apps, easing the burden on local merchants while letting residents order delivery food at discounted prices.

Both certificates are issued digitally. Buyers can download the Seoul Pay Plus app and purchase them by registering a bank account or using a credit or debit card, or Naver Pay.

Because demand tends to surge as soon as sales open, installing the app and signing up in advance can shorten purchase times. Purchased certificates are stored in the app — the Songpa Sarang certificate can be used directly at stores at checkout, while the Songpa Ddaenggyeoyo certificate can only be used through the Ddaenggyeoyo app.

Songpa-gu District Mayor Seo Kang-seok said, "Ahead of the holiday, we have prepared local gift certificates so residents can use them for shopping, dining out and other needs." He added, "I hope residents will actively use these certificates this chuseok to ease household expenses and inject vitality into the local economy."