Starting this year, the introduction of barrier-free kiosks has become mandatory for establishments where socially vulnerable individuals, including persons with disabilities, can use them without inconvenience. However, the number of models for which the government provides installation subsidies has actually decreased.
◇Mandatory introduction of barrier-free kiosks at business sites with fewer than 100 employees starting this year
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups has recruited shops participating in the '2025 Smart Store Technology Dissemination Project' by the 21st. The Smart Store Technology Dissemination Project is a program that provides subsidies to small business owners who want to introduce smart technologies such as kiosks and serving robots, and it is managed by the Small and Medium Business Administration under the Ministry. Stores selected for the program can receive at least 70%, up to 5 million won, of the expense for introducing technology.
In particular, starting this year, according to the enforcement of the amended Disability Discrimination Act, business sites with an area of over 50 square meters and fewer than 100 employees must mandatory introduce barrier-free kiosks. Accordingly, demand for related devices is expected to increase.
However, in 2025, the number of barrier-free kiosk models for which the Small and Medium Business Administration provides subsidies has decreased to a total of six, representing a reduction of about 30% compared to the previous year.
According to the Small and Medium Business Administration, last year there were nine types of barrier-free devices eligible for support, and seven companies participated in production. At that time, the supported items included products priced from around 1 million won to 8 million won, with the lowest price for a stand-type kiosk being 2.53 million won. The amount that small business owners had to bear, after applying the subsidy (70%), was about 750,000 won.
In contrast, the number of eligible devices this year has been reduced to six types, and the number of participating manufacturers has decreased to three. The price of the cheapest product has risen to 3.4 million won, increasing the burden on small business owners to about 1 million won. This represents an increase of about 33% compared to last year.
Additionally, it has been pointed out that the exclusion of table-type kiosks from the supported items is problematic. Last year, table-type kiosks were included among the nine supported items, allowing for a subsidy of 70% on products worth 1 million won. However, starting this year, table-type kiosks have been excluded from support, and subsidies can only be received for adopting package products worth 7 million won that include stand-type kiosks.
Since table-type kiosks are mainly used in small establishments, the burden on micro business owners is expected to increase further.
◇Self-employed say “subsidies alone are insufficient”... government support items limited
Small business owners are showing negative reactions to this measure.
Kim Mo (33), who has been operating a Korean restaurant in Songpa District for six years, said, “The economic situation isn’t good, and the cost of replacing the kiosks is a burden. The cost of labor from selection to installation also adds up, and just receiving 70% of the device cost is not enough.”
Lee Mo (57), who has been running a private cafe in Jung-gu for five years, also expressed frustration, saying, “I brought in a kiosk three years ago, and the installment period hasn’t even ended yet. It’s surprising to be told to replace it suddenly. It might be better to just get rid of the kiosk.”
Ryu Pil-seon, a professional member of the Korea Federation of Micro Business Associations, noted, “The budget for the Smart Store Technology Dissemination Project has decreased from 34.4 billion won last year to 32.5 billion won this year. It’s questionable whether sufficient support will be possible under these circumstances.” He added, “Various devices are needed, not just stand-type kiosks, but government support items are too limited.”
The Small and Medium Business Administration stated that the reason for the reduction in supported items is that it has "tightened the criteria for product selection." A representative from the Small and Medium Business Administration explained, "Starting this year, eight criteria such as technological competitiveness, price suitability, and business management capability are being applied more strictly in selecting supported devices, which has naturally reduced the number of supported models as a result of selecting high-quality products."
Regarding the plan for supporting table-type kiosks, they stated, "It’s currently unknown, and it may change depending on the circumstances in the future."
As dissatisfaction grows, the government has announced that it will devise measures to alleviate the burden of introducing barrier-free kiosks within the first half of the year. Choi Sang-mok, acting president and deputy prime minister for economic affairs, said at a livelihoods economy meeting held with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and other related departments on the 13th, “We will ensure coherence between related laws and establish installation guidelines to alleviate the burden on self-employed individuals.”