Shared kitchens are known as a breakthrough business model with higher advantages in a niche market using minimum capital, with a higher chance of success. (image: SIMPLE PROJECT & Co.)
SEOUL, Mar. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — The South Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to overhaul regulations on six agendas including shared kitchens, to stimulate online-to-offline (O2O) services.
The O2O market, despite its potential to provide new startup opportunities, has been subject to various concerns that relevant legislation and conflict with similar businesses will undermine the growth of the nascent market.
In response, the ministry announced that it would overhaul any regulations that can obstruct expansion of the market, particularly for those pertaining to the following six agendas: shared kitchens, shared platforms for school shuttle buses, lifting bans on unregistered beauty salons, allowing advertisements on private vehicles, lifting bans on tattooists without a medical certificate, and allowing the online sale of glasses and contact lenses.
Shared kitchens are known as a breakthrough business model with higher advantages in a niche market using minimum capital, with a higher chance of success.
School shuttle sharing services will be subject to various topics of discussion, including whether to allow passengers over 13 years old, as well as creating a special registration for such vehicles to be managed separately from other forms of shared ownership.
The ministry also plans to engage with provincial authorities next month to start a project that will connect local traditional markets with shared parking space applications.
In the initiative, local authorities will provide information on parking spaces near traditional markets, and push for new legislation that will promote parking space sharing.
The parking space app will provide reservation services, and the real-time availability of parking spaces and their location
The ministry expects that it will help the service provider collect more parking spaces for customers, and increase accessibility to traditional markets.
“Regulatory reform is an investment that is not costly, but most effective,” said SME Minister Hong Jong-hak. “We will strive to ensure coexistence between small business owners and O2O companies.”
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
