Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City Selects and Supports 10 “Star Small Business Owners” for 2025

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) and the Busan Economic Promotion Agency (President Song Bok-cheol) announced the selection of 10 companies as “Star Small Business Owners of Busan 2025” and held a certification ceremony at 10:00 AM on June 27 at the City Hall Small Conference Room.

The “Star Small Business Owner” designation is awarded to outstanding local entrepreneurs who show potential for growth into enterprise-level businesses in consumer-focused industries such as food, clothing, and household goods. Since the program’s launch in 2022, the city has selected 10 companies annually and provided comprehensive support to help them grow into representative Busan brands. With this year’s selection, a total of 40 companies have been designated to date.

Mayor Park Heong-joon, President Song Bok-cheol of the Busan Economic Promotion Agency, and representatives of the newly selected companies were among the 20 attendees at the ceremony.

Overview of the Star Small Business Owner Program

• ●Definition: Outstanding local small business owners who create added value in everyday consumer goods industries (food, clothing, daily necessities) and demonstrate potential to grow into enterprise-level businesses.

• ●Eligibility: Small business owners based in Busan with more than 3 years of operation.

• ●Selection: 10 companies selected annually since 2022, with 40 companies designated as of 2025.

• ●Certification Period: Three years (June 2025 – June 2028).

• ●Key Benefits:

• ○Initial growth support fund of KRW 20 million

• ○KRW 5 million in collaboration support between companies

• ○Strategic growth consulting and publicity via Busan’s official channels

• ○In-depth consulting for national grant applications

• ○Opportunities for collaboration between star businesses and promising enterprises

According to the results of an open call conducted by the Busan Economic Promotion Agency this April, a total of 190 small businesses applied, indicating a high competition ratio of 19 to 1. Applicants were evaluated based on their startup story, business performance, and level of engagement. Final selection was made through document screening, on-site evaluations, and presentations.

The 10 Selected Star Small Business Owners for 2025:

• ●Green Ribbon (sandwiches)

• ●LiquLab Co., Ltd. (makgeolli)

• ●Dancefarm Corporation (sportswear)

• ●Double Healthcare (grain powder made from tofu)

• ●Babijoa Co., Ltd. (functional grains)

• ●Busan Yak-kong Milmyeon (mild wheat noodles)

• ●Yangga Sonmandu (thin-skin dumplings)

• ●Chaeaejeon Grandma Kalguksu (noodle soup)

• ●Cosmile Corporation (tourism souvenirs)

• ●Taeri Shoes (handmade shoes)

The selected businesses will receive various forms of support, including certification (certificate and plaque), KRW 20 million in initial support funds, professional consulting, in-depth consulting for national grant applications, business-to-business collaboration, networking days, and joint marketing opportunities.

Notably, starting this year, previously selected businesses (2023–2024) will also receive support to conduct networking events and collaborative projects, with up to KRW 5 million in funding, to help share best practices and develop viable collaborative models.

Among this year’s selections, two standout companies are Babijoa Co., Ltd. and Chaeaejeon Grandma Kalguksu.

• ●Babijoa Co., Ltd., based in Gijang-gun, is a grain-specialized company that became the first in Korea to commercialize “functional rice.” The company independently develops and produces over 60 varieties of functional grains, including low-sugar enzyme brown rice. In 2024, the company exported turmeric rice, chlorella rice, and red yeast rice to the U.S. and Canada, demonstrating its competitiveness in global markets. The city selected Babijoa as a star business for its product excellence and export potential.

• ●Chaeaejeon Grandma Kalguksu, located in Yeonje-gu, offers a single-menu dish of “Grandma Kalguksu,” enhanced with onion sauce and tempura powder. The restaurant was featured in the Michelin Guide for both 2024 and 2025, solidifying its status as a representative local dish. The business was selected for its strong potential to develop into a branded traditional restaurant and its promise in meal kit productization.

Meanwhile, companies selected in previous years have seen meaningful growth through the city's support, including increased online and offline sales and expanded export channels. In fact, the average sales revenue of the 10 businesses selected last year increased by 41% compared to the previous year.

Notably, Daehyun Sanghoe (sesame oil), Baekro Anggeum (red bean paste), and Modara (souvenirs) passed the first round of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ 2025 “Strong Small Business” audition, securing KRW 60 million in commercialization funding. Youping (plain t-shirts) expanded collaborations with local artists and companies and achieved top-tier sales at a popup store in The Hyundai Seoul, making notable strides as a result of the Star Small Business Owner designation.

Mayor Park Heong-joon remarked,

“Busan Metropolitan City actively supports businesses that reflect the city’s unique character and sensibilities, helping them enter blue ocean markets both domestically and globally. We hope that the selected Star Small Business Owners will grow into entrepreneurial small businesses that lead our region.”