Gangdong-gu Taps Big Data to Sharpen Tailored Support for Small Businesses

Gangdong-gu signed a big data MOU with the Seoul Credit Guarantee Foundation on Sept. 16 to build a closer support system for small-business owners tailored specifically to the district.

The agreement was drawn up to provide neighborhood commercial districts and small businesses — struggling under high prices and elevated interest rates — with support matched to the characteristics of each district. The two organizations plan to use commercial district big data to move away from one-size-fits-all assistance and instead craft policies suited to individual alley markets and business types.

Under the MOU, the two sides will jointly use key data on neighborhood commercial districts, including sales trends by business type and area, foot traffic and the status of customer-drawing facilities, store counts and opening and closure rates, and rent trends. Drawing on that information, they will examine which areas need support by neighborhood and business type, and will develop and pursue alley-commerce revitalization projects and small-business support policies tailored to local conditions.

The district noted that Gangdong-gu is seeing active large-scale residential complex move-ins and rapid shifts in its commercial landscape, and expressed confidence that the big data partnership will help deliver customized business guidance and well-targeted financial support to small-business owners.

"This collaboration with the Seoul Credit Guarantee Foundation is meaningful because it allows us to build support measures that are genuinely useful to small-business owners, grounded in accurate data," District Mayor Lee Su-hee said. "We will continue to serve as a reliable pillar so that small-business owners can overcome hardship and build the capacity to stand on their own."