Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) students won the Excellence Award at the 2nd U-Commerce Competition 2021 (hereinafter UCC), held on November 30, 2021 by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Small and Medium Business Corporation.

Last year, JBNU was selected as an 'E‑commerce Specialized University' and established an industry‑oriented course for the specialized university titled 'Global E‑commerce Practice' (Course Director: Seon Jong‑hak, Department of Business Administration). Over one year, the program provided theoretical and practical training in e‑commerce sales.

Students who participated in this program, including Shin Ye‑rim (Department of Industrial and Information Systems Engineering), Min Byung‑chul and Lee Seo‑yeon (both Department of Business Administration), and Gong Myeong‑gyu (Department of International Trade), formed the team '푸디워츄' to enter the competition.

After completing the e‑commerce specialized university curriculum, they listed products of 'Foody Worm', a company that produces pet food and snacks using insect protein, on global e‑commerce platforms Alibaba and eBay. Through social media, YouTube marketing, and influencer marketing, they achieved sales of about $19,000 (approximately KRW 223 million).

In particular, their B2B sales ($18,288) were highly regarded as an outcome likely to lead to sustained future revenue.

Team leader Shin Ye‑rim said, 'As this was our first market entry, we faced many challenges, but I feel great pride that, together with the company representatives, we led the market development and achieved results.' She added, 'Through this process, I saw the limitless potential of the U‑Commerce sector in Korea and opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship. I would like to thank my team members for their hard work over the past year and the representatives of '푸디원'.'