'2026 Small Manufacturer Digging Week' to Be Held in Seongsu-dong on Nov. 4

Runs for five days, Nov. 4-8; in partnership with Musinsa and Oasis
Around 100 promising small manufacturers in the fashion, beauty and food sectors to participate

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on Nov. 3 that it will hold the “2026 Small Manufacturer Market Development Achievement Conference (2026 Small Manufacturer Digging Week (DIGGING WEEK))” for five days, from Nov. 4 to 8, at Y173 and the former Vision Motors site in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul.

This year, the ministry is working with the Korea SMEs and Startups Distribution Agency on a market development support program for small manufacturers. In partnership with Musinsa and Oasis, it is identifying 120 promising small manufacturers in the fashion, beauty and food sectors and supporting them with facilities and infrastructure, new product development, consulting and other assistance. The program also offers practical opportunities to secure sales channels, including getting listed on major retail platforms, participating in domestic and international promotional events, and selling products directly to retailers.

The event will consist of an audition and awards ceremony to select star small manufacturers, and a pop-up store where consumers can try and purchase their products.

Twenty-four of the 120 companies that passed the preliminary audition will compete in the Star Small Manufacturer Audition. On Nov. 4, four companies in the beauty sector will be evaluated through live commerce, while 10 food companies will undergo blind taste tests. On Nov. 5, 10 fashion companies will be evaluated in a runway fashion show. The 12 companies selected through the evaluations in each sector will attend the awards ceremony on Nov. 6.

Starting Nov. 5, a pop-up store will also operate, featuring around 100 promising small manufacturers across the fashion, beauty and food sectors. It will be designed around a laboratory and research lab concept so consumers can try the products firsthand. Visitors can take part in activities such as shoveling and games matching weights and lengths to receive small manufacturers’ products, samples and souvenirs worth up to 300,000 won.

Kim Jeongju, Director General for Small Business Policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, “Through this event, we will strengthen cooperation with private retail platforms that have domestic and international distribution networks. We will also continue to actively expand support to help small manufacturers grow quickly and strengthen their competitiveness.”

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