The Seoul Metropolitan Government will invest a total of 2.7906 trillion won this year to help revive vitality in the everyday economy. Targeting four groups that face crisis first during economic downturns—small business owners, neighborhood commercial districts, consumers, and vulnerable workers—the city plans to continue tailored support through 25 detailed programs.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 9th in the morning at City Hall announced "2026 everyday economy vitality add-on," which contains these measures.
The core of the measures is to go a step beyond on-site everyday support and prioritize the "weakest link," where the shock of a crisis hits first, providing support to the end for long-term recovery. The goal is to reduce anxiety across the everyday economy and create changes that citizens can tangibly feel on the ground.
Oh Se-hoon, the Seoul mayor, said, "We will firmly hold on to the 'weakest link,' which is the first to shake and the first to collapse under K-shaped polarization, and go the distance together," adding, "We will create changes that citizens can clearly feel in their daily lives until the warning sounds in the everyday economy turn into signals of vitality."
◇ Record "largest" funding for small business owners… Foster neighborhood commercial districts into local landmark destinations
First, the city will roll out a "tangible support package" that runs from stabilizing small business operations to recovering sales. To secure a financial safety net, it will supply 2.7 trillion won in small and medium enterprise development funds. Except for 2021, when COVID-19 spread, this is the largest level on record. The city will also expand the "Reassurance Account," an overdraft exclusively for livelihood self-employed workers, from 400 billion won to 500 billion won this year. Launched last year as the first of its kind nationwide, the Reassurance Account was depleted in 45 business days. This year, participating banks will increase from four to six (Shinhan, Woori, KakaoBank, K Bank, Toss, and Hana).
In addition, the city will newly create and operate a 100 billion won fund to support vulnerable businesses hit by the "three highs"—high exchange rate, high inflation, and high interest rates. For self-employed workers with high-interest unsecured loans, the repayment period for the 300 billion won "Hope Companion Fund (refinancing, switching loans)" will be extended from five years to seven years (two-year grace period, five-year equal installment repayment). If a borrower took out 30 million won, the monthly repayment would drop by about 125,000 won.
Measures will also be pursued to boost the competitiveness and resilience of neighborhood commercial districts and traditional markets. The "local brand commercial district development project," which nurtures promising neighborhood commercial areas into local landmark destinations, will add four sites this year. With six existing districts, the city plans to foster and support a total of 10. For the three markets selected as "design innovation traditional markets"—Shin Jungang Market (Jung-gu), Tongin Market (Jongno-gu), and Cheongnyangni General Market (Dongdaemun-gu)—the city will create arcades and shared spaces that reflect local characteristics to transform them into "landmarks where people want to stay."
The city will also advance the "commercial district analysis system" using AI and big data. The goal is to classify commercial areas by development, growth, and crisis and support tailored policies by type. The system will be built this year and expanded step by step by 2027 to include AI-based crisis prediction, self-diagnosis, and customized policy recommendations.
◇ Expand "good price" businesses to 2,500… Strengthen industrial accident prevention at business sites with fewer than 50 employees
Measures will also be prepared to reduce the burden on citizens by stabilizing living costs. The number of "good price businesses," which offer services at affordable prices, will be expanded from 1,962 to 2,500. During periods of price surges or concentrated consumption such as abnormal weather or kimchi-making season, the city will work with large retailers to run discount events, lowering perceived prices for citizens.
In addition, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will expand the "agricultural products supply-demand prediction system," which had covered 10 items, to include items with a high risk of price spikes by holiday and season. For items with price spikes, the city will pay shipping incentives to encourage farm shipments and keep wholesale market supply stable.
The city will also work to improve unfair practices. In March, it will expand and reorganize the "Fair Trade Integrated Counseling Center" into the "Everyday Economy Reassurance Center." The plan is to protect citizens' rights and interests with a "one-stop relief system" that handles everyday economic harms from consultation through legal support.
Industrial accident prevention will be strengthened for small business sites with fewer than 50 employees. The plan is to close gaps in rights and protections for vulnerable workers in poor working environments.
The city will launch "Seoul Freelancer On" for freelancers. It adds "freelancer activity performance management" and "public job information" to the "freelancer escrow payment service" that the Seoul Metropolitan Government introduced last year to ensure safe payments and resolve dispute issues. The aim is to create an environment where freelancers can work while stably managing their records without worrying about unpaid fees.
Tailored support will also be expanded, including health checkups for vulnerable workers in high-risk jobs such as delivery, housework, and care (from 18 to 200 people), and special health checkups for urban manufacturing workers in poor work environments and night-shift workers (from 145 to 1,000 people).
The city will strengthen a prevention-centered safety net for small private business sites with fewer than 50 employees, which are vulnerable to industrial accidents. It will expand labor law and Occupational Safety and Health Act education and consulting to 100 private business sites, and support step-by-step risk assessment consulting by industrial safety and health experts for 200 sites.