A promotional poster for Meokkkaevi, the public online food delivery app operated by Ulju-gun in Ulsan. [Ulju-gun]
A promotional poster for Meokkkaevi, the public online food delivery app operated by Ulju-gun in Ulsan. [Ulju-gun]

Meokkkaevi, a public online food delivery app run by Ulju-gun in Ulsan, has surpassed 10 billion won ($7.07 million) in cumulative sales for its partner small businesses, establishing itself as a platform connecting local merchants and consumers.

Ulju-gun announced Wednesday that since the app's launch in May last year, it has recorded 374,691 cumulative orders and 10.2 billion won in cumulative sales for partner small businesses as of this month.

The app has shown steady growth across key metrics. The number of participating merchants in Ulju-gun rose from 670 at the end of May last year to 953 as of this month — an increase of 283 — while registered members surged more than ninefold over the same period, from 669 to 6,283.

Ulju-gun revised a related ordinance in December last year to establish a legal basis for subsidizing delivery fees and discount coupons. In March, the county signed a consignment agreement with the Ulsan Metropolitan City Small Business Happy Dream Center and has since April been running the "2026 Ulju-gun Public Food Delivery App Activation Project," committing 290 million won in county funds.

The project was launched to ease the financial burden on small business owners struggling with the high commission fees charged by large private delivery platforms and to stimulate local consumption. Meokkkaevi has drawn strong interest with a brokerage commission rate of 1.5 percent — among the lowest in the country — along with a policy of no membership or advertising fees for partner merchants.

To boost usage, Ulju-gun distributes coupons on a first-come, first-served basis to customers who place orders of 15,000 won or more: a 3,000-won delivery fee coupon on weekdays and a 5,000-won discount coupon on weekends and public holidays. Each coupon can be used once per day.

This month, in recognition of the summer vacation and holiday season, the county is offering 225 weekday coupons worth 3,000 won and 225 weekend and public holiday coupons worth 5,000 won at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day, on a first-come, first-served basis.


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