Daegu Mayor Choo Kyung-ho: "We Will Mobilize Every Policy Tool to Ease Your Burdens"

【Financial News Daegu = Reporter Kim Jang-wook】"We will make every effort to inject vitality into the livelihood economy through comprehensive measures across all fronts and ease people’s burdens."
Daegu Mayor Choo Kyung-ho chaired the fifth Emergency Economic Measures Meeting at the Daegu Merchants’ Association Hall in Daemyeong-dong, Nam-gu, on the 10th. He announced measures to revitalize the sluggish local economy and enable citizens to enjoy a safe and comfortable holiday, including measures to boost the livelihood economy and a comprehensive Chuseok holiday plan.
In particular, the city will implement a series of measures from before the Chuseok holiday through the fall to revitalize the broader livelihood economy. These include issuing 100 billion won in Daeguro Pay, providing 500 billion won in financial support, holding an Onnuri Gift Certificate promotional event at traditional markets, and promoting neighborhood commercial districts and fall festivals.
Mayor Choo said, "When the local economy is struggling, immediate remedies are needed. From before Chuseok through the end of the year, we will mobilize every policy tool—including measures to boost consumption, revitalize commercial districts and provide financial support—to ease the burdens of small business owners and small and medium-sized enterprises." He emphasized, "For the effects of these measures to continue, we must create competitive commercial districts that citizens choose to visit on their own."
He added, "We will do our utmost to ensure that citizens can enjoy a safe and abundant Chuseok holiday by thoroughly preparing for disaster and safety-accident prevention, operating the emergency medical system, and providing everyday conveniences such as transportation, parking and cultural services."
To ensure that consumption does not contract after the Chuseok holiday but continues steadily, the city will implement the 2026 Daegu Special Measures to Boost Consumption starting October 12. The measures include an Onnuri Gift Certificate promotional event at traditional markets, known as the Daebak Sale; promotional support for neighborhood-style shopping districts; and fall festivals in neighborhood commercial districts and traditional markets.
The city also plans to promote a commercial-district revitalization project linking Daegu Station, Gyo-dong and Daegu Dongseong-ro Street, developing the area into a destination where citizens and tourists stay and spend time.
To reduce the financial burden on small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners struggling with high interest rates, the city will provide additional financial support totaling 500 billion won through the Daegu Credit Guarantee Foundation.
Park Jae-cheong, chairman of the Traditional Market Merchants’ Association, said, "These measures to invigorate people’s livelihoods are unprecedented support." He added, "In particular, we expect the policy’s impact to grow further through a field-oriented improvement that standardizes the payment method for promotional events as Onnuri Gift Certificates." Lee Jun-ho, chairman of the Dongseong-ro Shopping District, also said, "The livelihood economy and tourism are closely connected. It would be good to develop tourism revitalization measures as well so that more people from other regions and foreign visitors can come to Daegu."
The city will also implement a Comprehensive Chuseok Holiday Plan consisting of 18 tasks in four areas—livelihood stability, citizen safety, citizen convenience and shared prosperity—to ensure that all citizens enjoy a happy and safe holiday.
The meeting was attended by representatives of 13 merchants’ associations, including traditional market merchants’ associations from the Daegu Merchants’ Association, Seomun Market and Chilseong General Market, as well as neighborhood-style shopping district merchants’ associations such as the Neighborhood-Style Shopping District Merchants’ Association and the Dasa Small Business Owners’ Association. Relevant organizations, including the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Regional Office of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Regional Office of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, and the Daegu Credit Guarantee Foundation, also attended and exchanged a range of views.

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