Seoul City Moves to Support Female Entrepreneurs 서울 여성 1인 창업 지원

The city of Seoul is making good on its promise to support the employment of women in the industry. Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon recently announced plans to help aspiring female entrepreneurs kickstart their own start-ups and establish a comprehensive support network of female professionals. Our Paul Yi shows us how Korea's breaking through the glass ceiling. Here in this subway station in Seoul, Lee Jin-hee is one of a growing number of female entrepreneurs in Korea who has taken the plunge and opened up her own shop. The young pottery artist and sole proprietor of her 20-square meter venue says it's a constant balancing act between business and passion. "Here in my studio, my greatest focus is on the products. For instance, with this rice bowl, I made it so it's shallower so it feels fuller with just one serving." Just a few steps over, another design professional has caught the entrepreneurial bug. Kim Byeong-hee considers her corner of the underground commercial strip as her personal workshop, while praising the comradery between her fellow merchants. "Running a one-person business can be difficult and costly, but since there's other similar artisans here, we can work together to promote business." Both women are currently being supported by the Seoul Metropolitan Government's new initiative to jump-start small businesses among women. The "Women's Entrepreneurship Plaza" was set up specifically to encourage female vendors while offering advice on business management and tax support. To overcome initial financial barriers, the city is renting out commercial spaces at about 70 U.S. dollars per month, with free access to office equipment. And according to Mayor Park Won-soon, they're just getting started. "We're considering putting aside approximately 30 percent of the space in metropolitan subway stations for public use. And so, we want Seoul to be a place of creative spaces and to make a city with a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit." City officials say their goal is to create some 42-thousand jobs for women this year alone, through co-operatives, social enterprises, and entrepreneurial opportunities. Paul Yi, Arirang News