Busan is good

Busan Selected for the "Cooperative Workplace Daycare Center for SMEs" Installation Grant!

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that the "Gwangbok-ro Cooperative Daycare Task Force" has been selected for the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s (Korea Workers’ Compensation & Welfare Service) “Cooperative Workplace Daycare Center for SMEs Installation Support Program.”

• ●The "Gwangbok-ro Cooperative Daycare Task Force" is a consortium led by the well-known local pizza restaurant “FGK Co., Ltd. (Lee Jae-mo Pizza)” located in Gwangbok-ro, Jung-gu. Participating SMEs include:
  ▲ FGK Co., Ltd. (Lee Jae-mo Pizza)
  ▲ Lee Seung-hak Pork Cutlet
  ▲ Jagalchi Saemaeul Credit Union
  ▲ Korea Campus Crusade for Christ (KCCC)
  ▲ Infinite Sports

• ●Only three regions — Busan, Seoul, and Daegu — were selected nationwide.

Through this selection, the task force will receive up to KRW 1.07 billion in national funding for facility construction and operational expenses. Separately, Busan City will provide an additional KRW 100 million to cover the company’s share of the installation cost.

The daycare center will be established on the 5th floor of 33 Gwangbokjungang-ro, Jung-gu, with a total floor area of 431.44㎡. It is scheduled to open in March 2026 and will accommodate 37 children from employees of the task force’s companies as well as children of nearby self-employed small business owners.

This achievement reflects Busan City’s ongoing efforts, including joint consultations with Korea Workers’ Compensation & Welfare Service and site visits to participating businesses to provide guidance on securing a location and forming the employer consortium.

The city plans to operate this facility as a “Busan Cooperative Workplace Daycare Model,” offering care not only to enrolled children on weekdays but also temporary care on weekends and holidays for children of self-employed business owners in the Gwangbok-ro area.

• ●The “Busan Cooperative Workplace Daycare Model” is a childcare service model in which a jointly operated workplace daycare center serves as a hub to provide extended care to the children of nearby local merchants and the self-employed on weekends and holidays.

This initiative is part of Busan’s 8th civil administration pledge to expand cooperative workplace daycare centers for SMEs. Currently, six centers are operating across the city.

• ●As of the end of May 2025, the operating centers include:
  ▲ Noksan Industrial Complex Bareun Daycare Center
  ▲ Centum Gaon Daycare Center
  ▲ Andersen Daycare Center
  ▲ Jeonggwan Industrial Complex Cooperative Daycare Center
  ▲ Myeongji Daycare Center
  ▲ Gijang Fire Station Cooperative Daycare Center

Mayor Park Heong-joon commented, “With this selection, we can provide workers with an environment where they can focus on their jobs and help companies enhance their image, contributing to a work-life balanced ‘15-Minute City Busan.’ We will continue to do our best to make Busan a great city to raise children by improving the childcare environment and encouraging population inflow.”

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Appendix 1 – Project Overview

• ●Organization: Gwangbok-ro Cooperative Daycare Task Force

• ○Lead Company: FGK Co., Ltd. (Lee Jae-mo Pizza)

• ○Consortium Members: Lee Seung-hak Pork Cutlet, Jagalchi Saemaeul Credit Union, KCCC, Infinite Sports

• ●Location: 5F, 33 Gwangbokjungang-ro, Jung-gu, Busan

• ●Size: 431.44㎡ (Capacity: 37 children, Surveyed demand: 25 children)

• ●Application Period: April 21 – May 2, 2025

• ●Review & Selection: Expected May 23, 2025

• ●Scheduled Opening: March 2026

• ●Budget: KRW 1.17 billion (KRW 1.07 billion from KWCS, KRW 100 million from Busan City)

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Appendix 2 – Contest and Support Process Overview

• ●Contest Frequency: 4–5 times/year (joint contest once/year)

• ●Eligible Applicants: Employer consortia composed of 2 or more SME priority support companies (must make up ≥60% of the group, and ≥50% of all children must belong to insured employees of such companies)

Category	Support Content	Criteria / Rate	Limit
Construction Costs	Facility construction/conversion	90% (or 40% if purchased)	KRW 1 billion (2–4 firms)
			KRW 2 billion (5+ firms)
Facility Renovation	Repairs and improvements	90%	KRW 100 million
Educational Materials	Books, teaching materials	–	KRW 70 million
Facility Lease	Rental cost support	80%	KRW 300 million
Operating Costs	Salaries for principal, teachers, cooks	KRW 1.38 million/month per person
	SME daycare center ops	–	KRW 2–5.2 million/month
Additional Support	Publicity, consulting, guidance, review	–