Over 1.1 Billion Won in Direct Support and Full Marketing Costs: Hasamdong, Ubuntu World, and Guo Company Selected as Excellent Win-Win Franchise Headquarters

Three Exemplary Cases of Win-Win Cooperation Selected for 2026

Practical Incentives Provided, Including Reduction of Credit Guarantee Fund Fees

Three franchise headquarters that have actively reduced the financial burden on their franchisees and taken the lead in win-win cooperation have received government commendations.

2026 Win-Win Cooperation Excellence Headquarters Certification Mark. Korea Fair Trade Mediation Agency.

The Korea Fair Trade Mediation Agency announced on September 1 that it held a ceremony at its Seoul headquarters conference hall to select the 2026 Win-Win Cooperation Excellent Franchise Headquarters and awarded plaques to three companies: Hasamdong (Hasamdong Coffee), Ubuntu World (Ilpum Yangpyeong Haejangguk), and Guo Company (Young Calorie Poké). The Agency, which operates the Fair Trade Comprehensive Support Center, has been discovering and awarding exemplary cases every year since 2022 to promote a culture of voluntary win-win cooperation between franchise headquarters and franchisees.

This year’s selected franchise headquarters were recognized for going beyond slogans and implementing practical support measures to alleviate the actual management burden of store owners. Hasamdong, operator of the Hasamdong Coffee brand, actively supported the establishment of the Franchisee Council and created a continuous communication channel between the headquarters and store owners. In addition, by providing more than 1.1 billion won in direct support—including royalty exemptions, reductions and discounts on franchise and training fees, rewards for outstanding franchisees, and free promotional materials—it significantly eased the operational burden on franchisees.

Ubuntu World, the headquarters of Ilpum Yangpyeong Haejangguk, established a dedicated win-win cooperation department and created tailored marketing roadmaps for franchisees, with all related costs fully covered by the headquarters. Rather than unilateral headquarters-led advertisements, they produced interview content featuring the stories of franchisees and web dramas filmed in actual stores, thereby increasing brand awareness and rapport. These efforts helped lay the foundation for the sustainable growth of franchisees.

Guo Company, which operates Young Calorie Poké, focused on alleviating delivery commission fees, known as the biggest burden for self-employed business owners in recent times. By expanding entry into public delivery apps and supporting the production of exclusive advertisements, they achieved sales growth of about 24 times compared to before implementation. In addition, they launched a joint promotion for new menu items and rolled out the “Yeongkkeul Project” to support underperforming outlets, and through a business agreement with smart farming partners, helped lower the supply costs of ingredients during off-peak seasons, effectively reducing production costs.

The three selected franchise headquarters will receive the official Win-Win Cooperation Excellent Franchise Headquarters certification mark and a plaque, along with public relations benefits such as the production of promotional videos and postings on the official website. In addition, one extra point will be awarded when participating in the Fair Trade Agreement Implementation Evaluation and a 0.2 percentage point reduction in Korea Credit Guarantee Fund guarantee fee rates will be provided, among other practical policy financing benefits.

Kim Jeonggi, President of the Korea Fair Trade Mediation Agency, stated in his congratulatory speech that the selected cases are exemplary models demonstrating that both headquarters and franchisees can grow together when franchisees are respected as equal business partners and collaboration is fostered. He stressed that win-win cooperation is an essential strategy for ensuring the sustainability of the franchise sector, and emphasized the agency’s commitment to providing systematic support to encourage the widespread adoption of a voluntary win-win culture throughout the franchise industry.

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