Kakao在公州济世川推行Gotgot本地商圈活化项目，属ESG/小企业支援软性宣传

GONGJU — Around the Jemincheon stream in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, on the 16th, the streets were crowded with visitors carrying yellow bags marked with the word "Gotgot," even in the middle of a weekday. Shops stretched along 3.5 kilometers of the stream, many of them displaying posters reading, "Let hidden places be revealed, and revealed places shine." This is where Kakao (035720) is running Gotgot, its program to revitalize local commercial districts.
Gotgot is a visitor-participation local experience brand that Kakao launched this year for the first time. The company concluded that Project Dangol, its existing program supporting the digital transition of small business owners, could do only so much to bring life back to local commercial districts. The core aim is to keep visitors from stopping at a handful of well-known restaurants and instead draw them through the alleys to discover the area's hidden appeal and value.
The program is divided into Magazine Gotgot and Gotgot Walk. Magazine Gotgot carries stories tied to about 40 places in the old downtown area along the Jemincheon, ranging from food and beverage outlets to craft studios and gift shops. Gotgot Walk is an offline event that connects about 20 of the stores featured in the magazine with local landmarks so that visitors can tour them in person.
The participating stores were selected mainly from places that hold stories and values particular to the area. One example is Gokmuljip. To promote the value of disappearing native grains, the shop makes products such as misutgaru, a roasted grain powder drink, using grains grown by elderly farmers. Cheon Jae-park, director of Gokmuljip, who has taken part in most of the Gotgot programs, said, "We decided to join because the direction matched ours, in that it promotes the value of the area and brings the stories of each store into view."
What sets this initiative apart is that it links visitors' offline experiences to Kakao's online services. Scanning the QR code assigned to each store in the magazine lets users receive discount coupons through a Kakao Talk Channel or check visitor reviews on Kakao Map. Talk Digital Card has been built into Walk Bingo, an experience program. When a visitor scans QR codes hidden around the commercial district, a digital card is issued, and rewards follow according to how far the visitor has progressed.
This online-offline link is also becoming an opportunity for local merchants to win new customers. Lee Jae-cheon, who brews mead at Stranger Than Paradise, a bar along the Jemincheon that is included in the Gotgot Walk course, said the district is changing. "Through this collaboration with Kakao, a quiet small city is gaining visible energy," Lee said. "I hope the people who come through the Gotgot program become my fans and visit again."
Kakao plans to keep supporting small business owners in maintaining relationships with visitors after the event ends. If users who visited a store during the event register as friends of its Kakao Talk Channel, the owner can send messages and discount coupons directly to encourage repeat visits. The company also plans to open up Gotgot's design and brand intellectual property for merchants and local governments to use freely, and to share its operational know-how.
Kim Eun-hwa, the local impact leader who planned the initiative, said, "Even after Kakao's direct support ends, I want to build a solid foundation on which the cooperative framework they have created can sustain itself and grow on its own momentum." Kim added, "I hope this project can eventually expand to all 226 local governments across the country."