The last round of Seongbuk Love Gift Certificates goes on sale Tuesday morning via the Seoul Pay+ app, offering up to 15 percent in combined discounts and cashback during the Korea Grand Festival period
Seongbuk-gu in Seoul will issue the final round of its "Seongbuk Love Gift Certificates" for the year Tuesday morning, releasing 20 billion won ($15.1 million) worth of vouchers to support local small businesses struggling under high prices and an economic slowdown.
The district has issued a total of 80 billion won in gift certificates across four rounds this year — during the Lunar New Year in February, the new school term in March, a summer promotion in June and chuseok in late August — with each round selling out in full. As of mid-October, 66.4 billion won, or 83 percent of the total issued, had already been spent at local traditional markets, hagwon, restaurants and other neighborhood businesses, creating a virtuous cycle for the local economy.
The final batch goes on sale at 9 a.m. Tuesday through the Seoul Pay+ app. Buyers receive a 5 percent upfront discount at purchase plus a 5 percent cashback voucher upon payment. The monthly purchase limit is 500,000 won per person, with a maximum holding limit of 1.5 million won. The certificates are accepted at roughly 15,000 Seoul Pay-affiliated merchants across the district.
This round is also tied to the cross-ministry discount festival "2026 Korea Grand Festival," running Oct. 29 through Nov. 15. During the festival period, residents who pay with Seongbuk Love Gift Certificates will receive an additional 5 percent cashback on a first-come, first-served basis, bringing the total benefit to as much as 15 percent.
"I hope this final issuance of Seongbuk Love Gift Certificates eases the financial burden on residents worn down by high prices and delivers a real boost in sales to local small business owners," Seongbuk-gu District Mayor Lee Seung-ro said. "I encourage all residents to take full advantage of the generous benefits tied to the Korea Grand Festival, and we will continue to roll out wide-ranging policies to revitalize neighborhood commerce and support people's livelihoods."
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