Seoul pop-up puts 19 young entrepreneurs' ideas to public test

Nineteen aspiring entrepreneurs will showcase business ideas in Seoul’s Ikseon-dong neighborhood Friday at a pop-up event where visitors can try prototypes and give feedback. The teams, part of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Local in Seoul program, developed businesses rooted in four local commercial districts. Their offerings include East Asian-inspired tea-tasting kits, interactive activities and food products. The city will assess their progress on Nov. 18 and select participants for further support.

The pop-up will run from 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the first floor of Stage X Ikseon.

The four districts are Magok Art Street in Gangseo District, Konkuk Youth Street in Gwangjin District, Noryangjin Mannaro in Dongjak District and Gwanghui Road in Jung District.

Fitchette will present miniature wood-fired pizzas served tapas-style, while DIMLIT will gather feedback on the taste and pricing of Hong Kong-style desserts.

Visitors can use PICK cards to identify brands they like or would want to see in their own neighborhoods.

Selected participants may receive advanced consulting, marketing assistance, business development grants of up to 30 million won and startup loans of up to 100 million won. The article gives the grant amount as $20,700.

Published Oct 26, 2026 2:43 pm KST

Young aspiring entrepreneurs take part in a training session at Seoul’s Alleyway Startup School in Seongdong District, May 24, 2022. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

Nineteen aspiring entrepreneurs will put their business ideas to the test in Seoul’s Ikseon-dong neighborhood Friday, showcasing products and services developed over five months in a city-backed program designed to turn local culture and resources into viable businesses.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said the pop-up event will run from 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the first floor of Stage X Ikseon, where visitors can try prototypes, offer feedback and help participants assess market demand.

The teams are part of the fifth cohort of Local in Seoul, a program that trains young entrepreneurs to build brands rooted in the character, stories and resources of local neighborhoods.

Since their selection in June, participants have prepared business ideas in four local commercial districts: Magok Art Street in Gangseo District, Konkuk Youth Street in Gwangjin District, Noryangjin Mannaro in Dongjak District and Gwanghui Road in Jung District.

The projects range from tea-tasting kits inspired by East Asian traditions to interactive activities built around board games, emotion cards and illustrated workbooks.

One team, Fitchette, will introduce miniature wood-fired pizzas served tapas-style, while DIMLIT will collect customer feedback on the taste and pricing of Hong Kong-style desserts.

Visitors can also use “PICK cards” to select brands that catch their attention or ones they would like to see open in their own neighborhoods, giving the entrepreneurs direct insight into consumer preferences.

A homecoming event for participants and experienced local business owners will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, featuring advice on store operations, customer engagement and business development.

The city plans to evaluate the teams’ progress at a Local Demo Day on Nov. 18 and select participants for further support, including advanced consulting, marketing assistance, business development grants of up to 30 million won ($20,700) and startup loans of up to 100 million won.

Park Kyung-hwan, head of Seoul’s Labor and Livelihood Bureau, said the program aims to help young entrepreneurs turn creative ideas into sustainable businesses that take root in local commercial districts.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

19位充满抱负的创业者将于周五在首尔益善洞举办一场快闪活动，展示他们的商业理念。届时，参观者可以体验他们的产品原型并提供反馈。这些团队是首尔市政府“本地化首尔”项目的一部分，他们围绕四个本地商业区开发了各自的商业项目。他们的产品包括东亚风味的茶品鉴套装、互动活动和食品。首尔市政府将于11月18日对他们的进展进行评估，并选出部分参与者提供进一步的支持。

快闪店将于下午 12:30 至晚上 7:00 在 Stage X Ikseon 一楼营业。

这四个地区分别是江西区的麻谷艺术街、广津区的建国青年街、铜雀区的鹭梁津万纳路和中区的光熙路。

Fitchette 将推出迷你柴火披萨，以西班牙小吃的形式供应；而 DIMLIT 将收集有关港式甜点口味和价格的反馈意见。

游客可以使用 PICK 卡来识别他们喜欢的品牌，或者希望在自己居住的社区看到的品牌。

入选者可获得高级咨询、市场营销支持、最高3000万韩元的业务发展补助金以及最高1亿韩元的创业贷款。文章中提到的补助金金额为20700美元。

发布于2026年10月26日下午2:43（韩国标准时间）

2022年5月24日，一群怀揣创业梦想的年轻人在首尔城东区的巷道创业学校参加培训课程。图片由首尔市政府提供。

19 位有抱负的企业家将于周五在首尔益善洞街区检验他们的商业理念，展示他们在五个月的时间里开发的产品和服务。这是一项由市政府支持的计划，旨在将当地文化和资源转化为可行的商业模式。

首尔市政府表示，此次快闪活动将于下午 12:30 至晚上 7:00 在 Stage X Ikseon 一楼举行，参观者可以在那里试用原型产品，提供反馈意见，并帮助参与者评估市场需求。

这些团队是首尔本地化项目第五期学员，该项目旨在培训年轻企业家，帮助他们打造植根于当地社区特色、故事和资源的品牌。

自 6 月份入选以来，参赛者们已在四个当地商业区准备了商业计划：江西区的麻谷艺术街、广津区的建国青年街、铜雀区的鹭梁津万纳罗和中区的光辉路。

这些项目涵盖了从受东亚传统启发的品茶套装到围绕棋盘游戏、情绪卡片和插图练习册构建的互动活动。

其中一支团队 Fitchette 将推出迷你柴火披萨，以西班牙小吃的形式供应；而 DIMLIT 将收集顾客对港式甜点口味和价格的反馈。

游客还可以使用“PICK卡”来选择他们感兴趣的品牌，或者他们希望在自己居住的社区开设的品牌，从而让企业家直接了解消费者的偏好。

周五上午 10 点至中午 12 点，将举办一场面向参与者和经验丰富的当地企业主的返乡活动，活动内容包括商店运营、客户互动和业务发展方面的建议。

该市计划在 11 月 18 日的本地演示日上评估各团队的进展情况，并选出参与者提供进一步支持，包括高级咨询、市场营销援助、高达 3000 万韩元（20700 美元）的业务发展补助金以及高达 1 亿韩元的创业贷款。

首尔市劳动生活局局长朴京焕表示，该计划旨在帮助年轻企业家将创意转化为在当地商业区扎根的可持续企业。

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。