The number of coffee shop licensees rose 20.1 percent, while the figure for pubs dropped 5.8 percent on-year, between January and August, government data showed Thursday.
During the same period, the total number of registered businesspeople in the country stood at 6.89 million people, up 4.4 percent on-year, according to data from the National Tax Service.
(Yonhap)
By sector, registered coffee shop owners surged the most, by 20.1 percent, totaling 36,106 people. Licensees for skin care-related businesses also rose significantly, by 19.8 percent, while the rate for gyms and convenience store owners followed at 13.9 percent and 11.8 percent, respectively, according to NTS data.
On the other hand, the number of those operating bars plunged 5.8 percent to 57,401. The decreasing rate of grocery stores and stationery store owners trailed behind at 5.1 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, licensees across 40 livelihood-related businesses, such as cafes, skin care centers and gyms, expanded 3.4 percent to 1.78 million businesspeople, which makes up 25.9 percent of total livelihood businesses, the NTS said.
According to the NTS, due to a population increase, Hwasung, Gyeonggi Province, saw the biggest hike in the number of new businesses by 9.2 percent, followed by Seogwipo, Jeju Island.
By Kim Bo-gyung (
lisakim425@heraldcorp.com)
