Gwangju Dong-gu and NAVER "Join Forces"... Boost Digital Competitiveness of Local Businesses

"Local Growth Gwangju Meetup" to Be Held at Cafe Jinjeongseong, ACC, on October 30
Combining Digital Capabilities with Local Shops to Strengthen Self-Reliance

Dong-gu in Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City is joining forces with NAVER, one of South Korea's leading IT platform companies, to strengthen the digital competitiveness of small businesses in local commercial districts and local creators.

Local Growth Gwangju Meetup poster. Provided by Dong-gu, Jeonnam Gwangju.

Dong-gu Mayor Lim Taek announced on October 28 that the district will host the "Local Growth Gwangju Meetup" with NAVER CEO Choi Soo-yeon at 3 p.m. on October 30 at Cafe Jinjeongseong inside the Asia Culture Center (ACC).

The event aims to combine the distinctive appeal of local neighborhood shops with NAVER's digital platform capabilities to help small businesses become more self-reliant and explore models for mutual growth in the region.

In the first session, Busan-based Momos Coffee and Treasures Coffee, which have established themselves as nationwide local brands, will share their successful branding strategies. In the second session, NAVER employees will introduce effective ways to manage NAVER Place and Smart Store, search optimization marketing strategies, and NAVER's growth support programs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). They will also hold one-on-one networking sessions with local merchants.

The event is timed to coincide with the sixth Dongmyeong Coffee Walk, a major fall festival taking place across Dongmyeong-dong from October 31 to November 1, with the aim of maximizing its impact on local businesses.

Dong-gu and NAVER have selected 50 distinctive businesses in Dongmyeong-dong, including cafes, restaurants, independent bookstores, and craft studios, and created the "Local Growth Gwangju Saved List" on the NAVER Map app. During the festival, citizens and tourists who save the list and verify their visits in person will receive a range of souvenirs, including limited-edition merchandise.

NAVER will also distribute a limited number of "NAVER Place discount coupons" worth 2,000 won, which can be used immediately at participating campaign businesses. Dedicated promotional booths will be set up along Dongmyeong-dong's cafe street, where the festival is taking place, and near the ACC's parking lot, to draw visitors into every corner of the neighborhood.

Information on advance registration and detailed programs for the "Local Growth Gwangju Meetup" is available on the NAVER Impact Blog and the official Dong-gu Office website.

"Through our partnership with NAVER, I hope Dongmyeong-dong's unique local content will become widely known across the country and give local merchants an opportunity to take another step forward in the digital environment," Dong-gu Mayor Lim Taek said. "We will continue to build a robust public-private partnership ecosystem and develop Dongmyeong-dong into a leading 'glocal premium commercial district' in South Korea."

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