Students make brass coins as quiz award. The coins can be used in 10 tasty restaurants near Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU).

The hot topic of the first day of SKKU's autumn festival was not a girl group performance, not a bar managed by female students wearing miniskirts. It was the brass coin that is called "Sungkyun Tongbo."

About 11 a.m. on Sep. 30, at SKKU, in front of the Business Building, a student shouts “Solve the quiz and get a brass coin!” Another student wandering by says “What brass coin?” and joins the students gathered at the desk where 1000 brass coins are stacked up.

In the quiz, the questioner shows the name of a restaurant near SKKU, and students match the restaurant with what kind of food it serves. The participating restaurants were selected from a survey of 1000 students, focusing on hidden restaurants run by small businesses. Ten tasty restaurants dealing with foods such as noodles, curry, tteokbokki, or soup are registered on the quiz list. Students who get the right answer receive two brass coins. The questioner hands out the brass coins and says, “You can use the brass coin in any of the 10 restaurants -- it has the same value as 1000 KRW!”

It is an idea to save local businesses modeled on the brass coin program of Tongin Market in Seochon, Jongno-gu.

Students showed a positive response to the coins. Students competed enthusiastically in the quiz saying “Two brass coins are the same as one cup of coffee,” “Gather brass coins and eat out.”

“It is enjoyable to get a brass coin and I can also help local businesses," said Seung Ju-wan (mathematics, senior) who won a brass coin. ”It has the effect of killing two birds with one stone. I will go to the restaurant where I usually go and eat some tteokbokki.”

“It is really great for me because I can reward the owner of the small restaurant I go to who gives lots of rice and takes care of me like my mother does,” said Kim Ju-seong (26, business administration, junior).

“I have gone to school for years but I didn’t know about all of these tasty restaurants in the back allies” said Lee Won-kyung (23, economics, junior).

Out of 1,000 coins prepared, 600 were given out in one day.

In the afternoon, students took their brass coins to restaurants and cafes near SKKU.

“I was surprised to hear that students were trying to help my business by making brass coins,” said cafe owner Yeom Sun-hwa (47). Yeom opened her cafe six years ago, and soon after, several franchise