28개 중앙부처 공무원노조, 착한소비자 캠페인 동참<br /><br />Small businesses are among the hardest-hit from the coronavirus outbreak.<br />To help them get through this tough time, South Korea's civil servants have joined in the government's 'Good Customer Campaign.'<br />Kim Sungmin reports.<br />A local restaurant in Seoul's Yeouido neighborhood is bustling with customers for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.<br />It is thanks to the State Public Officials' Labor Union, which has joined the 'Good Customer Campaign', created by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.<br />The campaign is about paying in advance for goods and services at small local businesses to help them get through this difficult period.<br />All 28 union chairpersons and the SMEs minister Park Young-sun gathered in Yeouido on Thursday... to pledge their support.<br />"As officials who serve the public, we wanted to act first to spread good influence and bring more participation from civil society."<br />To start off the campaign, the union reps and the SMEs minister visited a nearby restaurant and made advance payments worth 800 U.S. dollars.<br />To business owners, this could make all the difference.<br />"I had a very difficult time since the coronavirus outbreak. There were almost no customers. So this campaign will become very helpful to small business owners like me."<br />Regarding the campaign, minister Park Young-sun emphasized the value of "living together" at a difficult time like this.<br />"Restaurants have been the hardest hit by the outbreak. I think it is very meaningful that we encourage small business owners and pursue the value of 'living together.'"<br />Apart from paying in advance, there are other ways that the union members can help.<br />"The unions also plan to buy "Onnuri" gift certificates that can be used at traditional markets and use specific online platforms to help small businesses."<br />The campaign will run until July.<br />Around 25-thousand public workers will be encouraged to participate in the 'Good Customer Campaign' to help restart the frozen economy.<br />KIM Sung-min, Arirang News<br />
