Seoul expands safety net for small shops fighting inflation

“Inside a modest neighborhood diner in central Seoul, the price of a bowl of kimchi stew has held steady despite a bruising wave of inflation that has driven up the cost of everything from cabbage to utility bills. The restaurant is one of more than 2,000 businesses designated by the city government as "Good Price" shops — a decades-old program that is suddenly becoming a critical tool in the city’s battle against the soaring cost of living. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday that it is launching a major push to expand this network, which grew to 2,025 participating storefronts by the end of May this year. Co-managed by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the initiative targets everyday service providers — including neighborhood diners, barbershops, hair salons and laundromats — that voluntarily keep their prices below the local market average. To shield these businesses from the economic headwinds that usually punish low-margin operators, the city is offering a suite of tailored subsidies and operational safety nets. Each designated shop receives up to 830,000

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