Hwaseong City Has 130 Good Price Shops... Up 32 in Just Over a Year, Most in Gyeonggi Province

About Four Times the Average Growth Rate in the Other 30 Cities and Counties
5% Additional Cashback for Payments Made with Local Currency Through Year-End

The number of Good Price Shops in Hwaseong Special City, Gyeonggi Province, has risen from 98 to 130 in just over a year. The 32 additional shops represent the largest increase among Gyeonggi Province's 31 cities and counties. Until the end of the year, residents who pay at these shops with local currency can receive an additional 5% cashback on the amount spent.

A designation notice posted at a Good Price Shop in Hwaseong Special City. Photo provided by Hwaseong City.

Hwaseong City, led by Mayor Jeong Myeonggeun, announced on November 13 that the number of Good Price Shops had increased 32.7%, from 98 at the end of September 2025 to 130 in 2026. This was 24.4 percentage points higher than the average increase of 8.3% in the other 30 cities and counties in the province over the same period.

Good Price Shops are designated by local governments based on criteria including prices lower than those at nearby businesses and good hygiene and cleanliness. Hwaseong City has promoted the program online and visited businesses in person to explain how to apply. It evaluates applicants' prices and hygiene conditions on-site before designating them, and conducts regular inspections afterward.

Since October, the city has been providing additional cashback to residents who pay with local currency at Good Price Shops. The program may end before the end of the year if its budget runs out. Designated shops receive customized supplies and certification plaques, and their information is made public on the Hwaseong City and Ministry of the Interior and Safety websites.

This year, the city also contributed 3.5 billion won to the Gyeonggi Credit Guarantee Foundation to operate a special guarantee program for small business owners worth 35 billion won, the largest such program among cities and counties in the province. The city provides loan interest support for five years to small business owners who use the special guarantee.

A Hwaseong Special City official visits a Good Price Store and reviews its operations with a representative. Courtesy of Hwaseong City.

Park Seonhee, head of the Regional Economy Division, said, "The designation of 130 Good Price Shops is an achievement made possible by the efforts of small business owners who have maintained reasonable prices despite rising costs, together with the city's support. We will strengthen practical support, including local currency benefits and promotion of the shops, so that residents' use of Good Price Shops can ease their cost-of-living burden and boost small business owners' sales."

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