'Customers come just to see the magazine': Kakao breathes new life into Gongju's local commerce

A walk along Jemincheon in South Chungcheong Province's Gongju — QR codes guide visitors through the alleys

A magazine spotlighting 40 local stores, distributed free at 22 locations nationwide

Merchant-led flea market expands with brand IP and facilities provided at no cost

A visitor takes part in the "Walk Bingo" activity set up as part of Kakao's local community project Gotgot along the Jemincheon stream in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province. [Provided by Kakao]

"We've been getting more customers who come specifically to see the magazine we made with Kakao's Gotgot project," said Cheon Jae-bak, brand director of Gokmulzip, a store selling traditional grain-based beverages along the Jemincheon stream in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province.

Cheon, 48, said he has noticed a real shift in the commercial landscape of Gongju lately. Kakao has been drawing attention to lesser-known shops tucked away in the city's alleyways through its local community project Gotgot.

Cheon took part in producing the Gotgot magazine. "After the magazine came out, new customers who had never visited before started showing up," he said. "I feel the impact grows much stronger when more people come in with a genuine understanding of what our space is about."

His participation in the magazine also led to a feature on Kakao Makers, Kakao's online shopping platform. "It wasn't easy to handle online promotion on my own when I'm so busy," Cheon said. "Thanks to this, I naturally got the chance to introduce my store online."

A view of the Kakao local community project Gotgot set up along the Jemincheon stream in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province. [Provided by Kakao]

Kakao has launched an effort to revitalize the historic downtown commercial district of Gongju through its local community project Gotgot. The project aims to uncover hidden local stores and drive actual foot traffic by leveraging Kakao services such as KakaoTalk and Kakao Maps. It officially launched in June as an expansion of Project Dangol, a local community initiative that began in 2022.

On Friday, a reporter visited the Jemincheon area of Gongju. Banners reading "Gotgot Stroll" were visible here and there among the small shops lining the stream. Scanning a QR code on one of the banners with a smartphone generated a digital card loaded with store coupons. Visitors who collected cards by stopping at nearby shops could also complete a "bingo" for additional rewards.

Kim Eun-hwa, Kakao's local impact leader, who was at the scene that day, identified the project's core goal as boosting foot traffic to local commercial areas. "Through Project Dangol, we supported small business owners in building their digital capabilities, but we felt it wasn't directly translating into a more active local commercial scene," she said. "We wanted visitors to linger in the area, not just pop into a well-known restaurant and leave."

To that end, Kakao published "Magazine Gotgot Gongju" on Oct. 6, featuring stories from about 40 local stores in the city. The magazine was printed in a limited run of 2,260 copies and is distributed free at 22 partner locations nationwide. A key feature is the inclusion of store-specific QR codes that link readers to discount coupons on KakaoTalk channels and menu and review information on Kakao Maps.

A range of hands-on programs was also set up at the venue: Walk Bingo, in which participants visit 12 designated spots to collect digital cards; a local docent tour guiding visitors through area stores; and a flea market and one-day classes organized by small business owners. Advance reservations for the main programs were capped at around 700 participants and sold out on the day bookings opened.

A view of the Kakao local community project Gotgot set up along the Jemincheon stream in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province. [Lee Jun-young]

The project has also opened up new avenues for collaboration among local merchants. One notable example is the expansion of Sipsiilban Market, a flea market independently run by Jemincompanies, a startup community in Gongju, with Kakao's support. "Thanks to Kakao's support, Sipsiilban Market is holding its fifth event," said Lee Byeong-seong, head of Jemincompanies. "It's given us a chance to work alongside neighboring shop owners we used to only know by face."

Kakao plans to keep supporting the local commercial district in sustaining the project on its own after the event wraps up. The company will provide the facilities, materials, brand designs and intellectual property used during the event free of charge, and share operational know-how. The long-term vision is to expand the project to all 226 basic local government units across the country. "This is not a one-off event that comes and goes," Kim said. "We will support local small business owners and municipal governments in carrying on the project under the Gotgot brand."

chami@heraldcorp.com