Park Soo-hyun kicks off the initiative Monday at a youth-run bakery cafe in Nonsan's Yeonsan Traditional Market
South Chungcheong Province has launched an unusual outreach project in which the governor personally visits and makes purchases at struggling small businesses to boost morale and help them recover.
Governor Park Soo-hyun on Monday visited Sebbaeng, a youth-run bakery cafe inside Yeonsan Traditional Market in Nonsan, to kick off the initiative titled "Small Business Revitalization Project: Park Soo-hyun Gives a Hand."
The project will run continuously from this month, linked to "Chungnam Tonghaeng," an existing program through which Park travels to cities and counties across the province to engage directly with residents.
The initiative targets traditional markets, single-person businesses run by young entrepreneurs or women, and small business owners rebuilding after hardship. Park visits each store as its first customer of the day, makes a purchase, listens to the difficulties owners face in running their businesses, and offers encouragement.
Sebbaeng, the cafe Park visited Monday, was opened in January by owner Yun Se-yeon. Park bought bread and Dubai Chewy Cookie there and spoke with Yun about business conditions and the state of Yeonsan Traditional Market.
"Many small business owners are currently facing significant hardship, with high prices and high interest rates compounding a broader slowdown in consumer spending," a provincial official said. "We expect the governor's project — through sustained visits and purchases — to help create an atmosphere that encourages greater use of small business stores across the province."
The province has also been running a recovery support project this year for small businesses in financial distress, while broadening its safety-net programs to cover social insurance premiums, employment insurance for sole proprietors, Yellow Umbrella mutual-aid incentives, and fire insurance premiums to strengthen the local neighborhood commercial district.
Going forward, the province plans to make use of the infrastructure at Sodamsquare Chungnam, set to open this month, and to roll out a phased education program.
Next year, the province plans to pursue three tracks of support: business stability measures — including a recovery support program for small businesses in financial distress, a cooperative online food delivery platform, and financing assistance; safety-net programs — covering Yellow Umbrella mutual-aid incentive support, social insurance and employment insurance premiums for sole proprietors, fire insurance premiums, and crime-prevention supplies; and structural improvement initiatives, including AI utilization support and the operation of Sodamsquare Chungnam.
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
