Jongno-gu is simultaneously rolling out live-commerce support and low-interest loans from its small and medium-sized enterprise development fund to help local small businesses break into online markets and ease financial pressures.
The district is running its 2026 Small Business Live-Commerce Support Program through October to help small merchants establish a foothold in online retail. Selected businesses will receive assistance at every stage, from broadcast preparation and production to final transmission.
The district will arrange show hosts, equipment and a filming crew, and will also provide related education, product-planning consultations and promotional material production. Participating businesses may choose one broadcast channel — Naver, Kakao or Grip Live — based on each platform's eligibility requirements.
The program is open to small businesses with operations in the district. Businesses that were closed or suspended as of the announcement date of July 3, or that have outstanding national or local tax arrears, are not eligible.
Applicants must submit a business registration certificate, a small-business confirmation document and proof of full national and local tax payment, either in person at the district's Small Business Support Team under the Local Economy Division or by email, by July 17. The district will select 15 businesses and notify them individually in mid-July.
Jongno-gu is also launching a second-half 2026 SME Development Fund loan program worth 970 million won to help small businesses overcome financial difficulties.
Loans carry an annual interest rate of 1.5 percent, with a one-year grace period followed by four years of equal principal repayments. The borrowing limit is 50 million won for real estate-collateralized loans; for loans backed by a Seoul Credit Guarantee Foundation guarantee, the limit is 50 million won for district residents and 30 million won for those living outside the district. Funds must be used for facility or operating costs, or for technology development.
Eligible applicants include small and medium-sized enterprises with a registered factory in the district, tenants of the district-run business incubation center, and small businesses and sole proprietors in sectors not excluded from the loan program.
For real estate-collateralized loans, applicants should go directly to the Woori Bank Jongno-gu Office branch. For guarantee-backed loans, applicants must first consult with the Seoul Credit Guarantee Foundation before submitting the required documents to the same Woori Bank branch starting Monday.
"Live commerce is a channel that lets even a small shop reach consumers nationwide, and the low-interest loan will serve as a lifeline to ease the burden of running a business," district mayor Yu Chan-jong said. "We will activate both pillars — opening sales channels and providing financial support — to help small businesses and inject vitality into the local economy."
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