KB Kookmin Bank's budget mobile carrier brand KB Liiv Mobile will support the digital transition of young small business owners in the Busan area. It aims to promote the local economy and expand inclusive finance by supporting kiosk adoption and the building of smart stores.

KB Kookmin Bank said on Tuesday KB Liiv Mobile donated 100 million won to the Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership and will carry out a kiosk support programme for young small business owners in the Busan area.

The programme was set up to ease management burdens for young small business owners and support the creation of a digital sales environment. The donation will be used for the "Busan-area young small business owner kiosk support programme" jointly promoted by the Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership and the Busan city government.

Eligible recipients are young small business owners in Busan's population-declining (watch) areas. Those areas include Dong-gu, Seo-gu, Yeongdo-gu, Jung-gu and Geumjeong-gu.

KB Liiv Mobile plans to provide barrier-free (BF) kiosks that take into account ease of use for vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities and older people, along with consulting on building smart stores. The plan is to improve operating efficiency for small business owners and customer accessibility at the same time.

It will also provide one-stop support for the entire process, from kiosk supply and installation to initial setup, user training and maintenance. KB Kookmin Bank expects the programme to establish itself as a model for practising inclusive finance.

A KB Kookmin Bank official said, "Telecommunications and digital technology are core infrastructure for small business owners to secure competitiveness," and added, "Based on public-private cooperation, we will actively support small business owners' digital transition and strengthening of management capabilities."