Young small business owners get boost from Hana with new initiative

Hana Financial Group and the Small Enterprise and Market Service (Semas) launched a project aimed at revitalizing commercial districts and supporting young self-employed business owners, Hana said Wednesday.

The "Hana On, Youth On" project will support 15 teams comprising about 100 young business owners that have been selected through an open recruitment process. The project follows an agreement signed with Semas in June to help the self-employed at times of inflation and a weak exchange rate with the dollar.

The participants will plan and carry out joint events, customer-attraction programs, neighborhood improvement projects and joint promotional campaigns tailored to the characteristics of each commercial district, while Hana provides funding and consulting support.

“The commitment made in June to support small-business owners and revitalize commercial districts is now being put into action,” Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo said during the project's opening ceremony held in a hotel in Daejeon on Tuesday. “[Hana] and Semas will continue to support young small-business owners so that their growth can breathe new life into local commercial districts and help spread those gains nationwide.” 

The ceremony was also attended by Semas President In Tae-yeon. 

BY JIN MIN-JI [[email protected]]