Revitalizing Local Areas: Young People's Role in Economic Rebirth

The millennial generation feels disconnected from offline stores due to online availability, leading to a revival of local values for business and community growth.

### Reviving Local Economies: The Resurgence of Offline Retail and Small Businesses in South Korea
* 🛍 The rise of online shopping has significantly impacted traditional commercial districts in South Korea, leading to **store closures and economic challenges** in areas like Daegu's Dongseong-ro.
* 💼 Mayor Hong Joon-pyo of Daegu has made **revitalizing the local economy**, particularly around the Daegu Department Store, a **priority**.
* 🌆 In response to changing consumer trends, a new focus on **unique, locally-sourced products** is emerging, with brands like the bicycle chain store in Bukseong-ro gaining **popularity**.
* 🎨 Creative industries are also playing a role in economic revitalization, with companies like J24 in Daegu finding **success in digital content creation**.
* 🍱 Beyond retail, community-based initiatives like lunch box delivery services are providing both **economic opportunities** and **social support** for vulnerable populations.
* 🏢 The South Korean government is supporting local businesses through various programs, including **providing financial assistance** and **promoting local branding projects**.
* 🌱 There is a growing recognition of the importance of **empowering young people to lead the revitalization of local economies**, with a focus on **creating a supportive environment for entrepreneurship and innovation**.
* 🏙 Overall, there is a shift towards valuing **local uniqueness and community connections**, as people seek alternatives to the **homogenizing effects** of online retail and urbanization.

With insensitive capital power, the millennial generation cannot respond. Millennials cannot feel the charm of offline stores more, as everything is available online. People can now do what they want to do where they live. It is believed that the answer lies in the local area, where young people can take the lead in revitalizing the regions. Online shopping was not as active as it is now in the past. The three major commercial districts in South Korea were Myeongdong in Seoul, Seomyeon in Busan, and Dongseong-ro in Daegu. Even in the 1990s, the sales at Daegu Department Store were about 1.5 times higher than the global average. At that time, the floating population in Dongseong-ro was as high as 600,000, which is more than the current top area in South Korea, Jongno. Subsequently, with the activation of online shopping, these commercial districts took a direct hit. Although there was an influx of foreign tourists and a blackout, efforts are being made to find a breakthrough.

It is a difficult situation. Most of the stores in Daegu Department Store have closed down, and only one branch is operating. Reviving the businesses around the department store has become a pledge for Mayor Hong Joon-pyo of Daegu. With insensitive capital, generations cannot resist. Near Banwoldang intersection, just a few steps away, you can easily encounter empty shops. The rent here is as high as Gangnam in Seoul, which is an unreasonable cost. In fact, there are places nearby that make radical attempts like installing a Ferris wheel for large buildings. Although eye-catching with unique exteriors and somewhat radical attempts, it is inadequate to capture the feet of the young people who have left once. It was great to have a landmark-like feeling, but when asked if there are contents for us to enjoy inside, it was a bit lacking. Now, if retailers cannot sell something that cannot be experienced online, it will be difficult to survive.

Okay, the MG generation cannot feel the charm of offline stores anymore because everything is online. And after COVID-19, we are discovering new values. It is the rediscovery of local values in each neighborhood. Based on the interest in uniqueness that cannot be easily found on the internet, new consumer trends are spreading. In the industrial cities of Busan, Changwon, and Daegu, traces of outdated industries are being regenerated into new values. In 1937, Muyeongdang, which was the largest department store in the south at the time, established by a Korean, has been reborn as a new cultural space after 100 years. Hello, this is Yeonsu. Oh, welcome to Muyeongdang. The items sold here seem a bit uncommon. They are like items that cannot be found elsewhere. What kind of products are you selling?

So here, there are about 12 famous and promising brands in Daegu right now. There are brands that started in Daegu and have expanded globally. Now, these growing brands have been gathered and edited together. For example, there is a shop in Bukseong-ro selling bicycle chains. The shop is a family business passed down from the father and is doing well. The bicycle chains they sell are not just ordinary chains; they are environmentally friendly because if they are discarded, they become waste. The buildings in Bukseong-ro were built in 1937, so they bear many traces of time, almost like cultural heritage sites. It seems like a clothing store, but it's actually an exhibition space.

I'm a YouTuber. This person who created a brand is also active in Daegu. Oh, a YouTuber from Daegu. Yes, that's right. Running an exercise channel and launching their brand here. They carefully select locally flavored products that are not found online or on Dongseong-ro, where various unique brands are located. Young people in the region choose only products that appeal to their local tastes. They believe that allowing individuals to do what they want in their own living environment is the way for businesses to thrive. Therefore, even though there may be many institutional barriers to overcome, I hope for a society where individuals can do what they want in their own living environment. I hope that young people in Daegu and other regions will think, I can stay in Daegu, it's okay to stay, I want to stay, and such thoughts will increase.

I felt like investing in the future, so this time I visited an animation production company in the area. J24, which produces Mr. Doona, one of the popular emoticons on KakaoTalk, is a company that is making money by turning the emptiness of young people these days into characters. Mr. Jo Hee-jae, who created the character, saw his own wandering self reflected in the past and created the character. At that time, I didn't want to do anything and had nothing to do, so I was watching TV at home and switched to an advertisement. In that screen, I was lying down on a black screen, and that image has now become the logo of our Mr. Doona. This is the Mr. Doona character, right? Yes, this is the most signature pose. What kind of pose is this? This is when I was watching TV and then

When a black screen came up, it was my own reflection, so the TV was shining like this, right? Yes, that's correct. So, when the TV's cathode-ray tube reflected their own image when it was turned off, they were inspired by this character at first. Is that something you created then? Yes, that's correct. This is all part of that continuum. The character doesn't have a mouth, what does that mean? Well, it seems like our generation's voice is diminishing, and the ways of expression are gradually decreasing, so we removed the mouth. The one who commercialized Cho's work was Sim Young-min, a peer partner. Sim explained that in the case of digital production, there was no need to go to the competitive metropolitan area, as it was advantageous for young people in the region to collaborate and brainstorm. [MUSIC] The first case we signed a contract with was now McDonald's advertising contract that we

First, we have been conducting collaborations with big brands such as Samsung Card, Samsung Electronics, KT, Samsung Life, CJ, and Corong. We have been creating products since 180 and selling them not only in the domestic market but also overseas. It's not just young people who can run village businesses; there are also companies that deliver lunch boxes to neighbors living alone, with the joint efforts of apartment management offices and local residents. Hello, yes, hello. Yes, I came from Ne. So, do you just need to deliver meals? No, it's not just about meal delivery. The purpose is to observe the well-being of those people and then provide care accordingly. It is crucial to assess their condition and have conversations before delivering lunch boxes. Engaging in conversations while delivering lunch boxes can prevent deaths from isolation.

[Music] Here, Yongyi made a side dish that adults like, which is stir-fried pork and kimchi. This kimchi is domestic, it's like no other, right? No, it's domestically made kimchi. This company is an apartment management office that monitors the status of neighbors using the app. By utilizing the program a little, can monitoring be done anywhere nationwide? That's right. Now, households with electricity usage of less than 50km and water usage of less than 3 tons are identified. By narrowing down these households, we can check if they are living alone, if the house is empty, or not. For example, if they use very little electricity in the middle of winter or if they don't use much water, there may be a possibility that something is wrong with the house. Also, it could be an empty house, or someone living alone. So, if something seems strange or if it's an empty house, how do you deal with it?

Do you take any measures? It's strange. We visit to see if you live alone. We visit every month to check the meter. Oh, hello. Hello. How have you been? I've been well. What have you been up to? It's cold. Oh, I'm coming to make side dishes. I wanted to see you. I went to the hospital and came back. I went there today too. Oh, sit here for a moment. Your hair looks pretty. How many times do we meet in a day? I live on the second floor, and you live on the first floor, that's why. Do you live here? I live here. So, we meet every day, call each other, go down together, eat together, and talk about the old days. In the same village, companies with more than 5 employees can be selected through the Ministry of Public Administration and Security's review process if they are incorporated. They can receive support of about 100 million won over a maximum of three times, and there are about 170 such companies operating nationwide. The current government is implementing a top-down approach, sending central policies down to local governments.

Rather than a top-down approach, it is important to divide the authority each has at the center into local areas, and in those regions, it is crucial to utilize what each region can do best according to its characteristics. For example, regions strong in education focus on education, while those strong in culture focus on culture, and areas with industrial characteristics focus on industry. In this way, achieving balanced and comprehensive development independently is considered the most important. In addition to village enterprises, the government is actively promoting local branding activation projects by selecting local governments nationwide. For example, a back alley in downtown Hye-won has doubled its number of visitors in just six months, demonstrating the effectiveness of local branding projects. They are consistently carrying out projects such as youth village projects and youth village enterprise projects, actively supporting young people to take the lead in revitalizing local areas.

It is possible to make such mistakes, but what is even more important is the culture of forgiving these failures. I believe it is crucial to create a culture and atmosphere where young people who have failed can rise again. In the era of rebooting local communities, as everything is engulfed by a large-scale economy and people are flocking to metropolitan areas, I hope we can find new solutions in the values of local areas other than Seoul. I dislike being overly focused on competition, and I also want to continue growing. Living, I realized that there are truly many opportunities now.

💡 #지방시대 로컬에 꽂힌 청년들!

대한민국 건전한 지방자치제도 개선 및 지방재정 확립,재난안전 관리, 선거·국민투표, 행정조직의 관리 등에 관한 사무를 관장하는 중앙행정기관.

행정안전부

The Impact of Online Shopping on Local Businesses in South Korea

Online shopping has diminished the charm of offline stores, particularly in major commercial districts like Myeongdong, Seomyeon, and Dongseong-ro.

The rise of online shopping has led to the decline of these districts, causing many stores to close down.

However, there is a renewed focus on local values and uniqueness, leading to the regeneration of outdated industries and the revival of local businesses.

Daegu is home to a variety of successful and expanding brands, including a shop in Bukseong-ro that sells environmentally friendly bicycle chains.

The area is also known for its unique clothing store, which doubles as an exhibition space in a historic building.

Additionally, a local YouTuber has been active in Daegu, running an exercise channel and launching their own brand while promoting locally flavored products.

J24, an animation production company in the area, has found success by creating the popular emoticon character Mr.

Doona, inspired by the emptiness felt by young people, and turning it into a profitable business.

The Impact of TV Reflection on a Character's Design

The character's design was inspired by the reflection on a TV's cathode-ray tube when turned off.

The lack of a mouth in the character's design symbolizes the diminishing voice of the generation and the decrease in ways of expression.

The creator's work has led to collaborations with big brands and the production of various products, not only in the domestic market but also overseas, while also contributing to the well-being of people through meal delivery and conversations.

Monitoring Household Usage for Safety and Support

A company is using an app to monitor neighbors' electricity and water usage to identify empty houses or people living alone.

They visit the households every month to check on them.

The government is providing support to companies with more than 5 employees, selected through a review process, to implement its top-down approach for sending policies to local governments.

The Importance of Localized Development and Youth Empowerment

Localized development focuses on leveraging the unique strengths of each region, such as education, culture, and industry.

The government is actively promoting local branding activation projects, which have shown to be effective in increasing local tourism.

Additionally, there is a strong emphasis on supporting young people to lead the revitalization of local areas and creating a culture of forgiving failure to encourage resilience.