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Busan Metropolitan City Evaluates Efforts to Expand the Good Price Store Program, Honors Six Districts and Counties Including Yeonje-gu

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced the results of the 2026 Evaluation of Performance in Expanding the Good Price Store Program, conducted to promote price stability in personal services and revitalize the Good Price Store initiative. The city plans to recognize six outstanding districts and counties as well as three public officials for their contributions.

The evaluation covered all 16 districts and counties and comprehensively assessed performance in three categories: newly designated Good Price Stores, which carried the greatest weight, promotional activities, and special policy initiatives.

As a result of the evaluation, Yeonje-gu received the Grand Prize, while Yeongdo-gu and Busanjin-gu received Excellence Awards. Dongnae-gu, Gijang-gun, and Suyeong-gu were selected for Encouragement Awards.

The selected local governments will receive a total of KRW 100 million in special adjustment grants. In addition, three public officials with outstanding achievements in identifying and designating new Good Price Stores will receive commendations from the Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City.

The evaluation recognized districts and counties for identifying and designating 367 new Good Price Stores during the evaluation period and implementing a variety of region-specific initiatives despite challenging economic conditions, including high oil prices and inflation resulting from instability in the Middle East.

Yeonje-gu, in particular, received high marks for establishing a cooperative framework with local administrative welfare centers to actively identify outstanding hidden businesses in neighborhood commercial areas and for encouraging the use of Good Price Stores through linkage with the Busan-style advance payment program.

Jung-gu improved public accessibility by operating a Good Price Store discovery team and producing promotional materials featuring QR codes, while Nam-gu operated supporter groups and strengthened the capabilities of its consultative council through training programs.

Buk-gu and Haeundae-gu carried out promotional campaigns, while Sasang-gu and Saha-gu contributed to revitalizing the Good Price Store program by producing promotional videos for social media and utilizing promotional channels at traditional markets, among other exemplary initiatives.

Busan Metropolitan City plans to share the outstanding practices identified through this evaluation with all districts and counties and continue implementing a variety of policies to expand participation in the Good Price Store program and encourage greater public use, thereby strengthening price stabilization policies based on public-private cooperation.

Since February 2026, the city has provided special policy financing for designated Good Price Stores, offering loans of up to KRW 100 million per business. The city also subsidizes loan interest at an annual rate of 2.5 percent, which is one percentage point higher than the standard 1.5 percent interest subsidy available to general small business owners. As of the end of June, approximately KRW 2.7 billion in policy financing had been provided to Good Price Stores contributing to price stability.

In addition, since June, the city has been implementing the "Good Plus Dongbaekjeon Additional Cashback" program. The average monthly Dongbaekjeon payment amount at Good Price Stores increased from approximately KRW 1.7 billion between January and March to approximately KRW 2.5 billion in June after the program was launched. The additional Dongbaekjeon cashback benefit has been analyzed as encouraging greater public use of Good Price Stores while also helping increase sales for local small business owners.

Furthermore, Busan Metropolitan City plans to expand publicity and the identification of new Good Price Stores in cooperation with consumer organizations and strengthen collaboration with associations representing personal service industries, including restaurants, accommodations, beauty services, and bakeries, as well as with local administrative welfare centers that have a strong understanding of community conditions, thereby continuing to expand the Good Price Store program.

Kim Ki-hwan, Assistant Mayor of Digital Economy Office, said, "I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the districts and counties and the owners of Good Price Stores for their dedicated efforts to help stabilize local prices despite the difficult economic environment. Busan Metropolitan City will continue expanding the Good Price Store program and linking it with various support initiatives to ease the financial burden on citizens while revitalizing local commercial districts."