"I will listen to and reflect the voices of the field in our policies," said Han Seong-suk, Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups, who showed humility and was attentive to the remarks of others. This was a characteristic of her leadership style observed during a meeting with small business leaders on the 29th.
Since taking office on the 24th, Minister Han has taken on a significant role in leading the growth of small business owners and small and medium enterprises, which are currently facing difficulties. She is also responsible for fostering start-ups and venture companies that will drive innovation in the Korean economy as its potential growth rate declines.
After the meeting with small businesses, Minister Han met with reporters and shared her thoughts. Although the time was short, about 10 minutes, it was intense enough for reporters to quickly gauge her leadership and personality.
Minister Han began her career as a reporter and rose to become the CEO of the IT giant Naver. It is a career path that anyone working would dream of. She was nicknamed 'workaholic.' However, there are some criticisms that her experience limits her understanding of traditional manufacturing small and medium enterprises.
On that day, Minister Han was humble and attentive. She noted, "I am well aware of the role of reporters and I am reading the articles thoroughly." She expressed that she would humbly accept the points raised in the articles and would make improvements where necessary.
This is the leadership style characteristic of Minister Han. Even when she was CEO of Naver from 2017 to 2022, she emphasized inclusiveness and attentiveness. She was a woman CEO with a gentle charisma. A source familiar with Naver said, "Her management style as Han Seong-suk, CEO of Naver, was about inclusiveness and listening while leading the organization," adding, "It is expected that she will show the same qualities as the Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups."
Minister Han's leadership was also clearly demonstrated at the meeting. She listened to each story from the associations related to small businesses, small and medium enterprises, women-owned businesses, ventures, and start-ups that attended the meeting that day. She stated, "I will reflect these opinions in our policies."
Minister Han also emphasized the 'consolidation' of the domestic small and medium enterprise ecosystem. Each association, including the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprises (KFME), Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises, Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association, Innovative Business Association, and Korea Venture Capital Association, has its roles and strengths, and connecting them can create significant synergy.
Minister Han mentioned, "A total of 160 organizations, including the KBIZ, attended today's meeting," adding, "As we talked about each of their characteristics and strengths, I realized that we have many assets. I thought it would be great if we could establish a structure for collaboration by connecting these in various ways." While this remains in the idea stage, she has not yet revealed how to implement it.
Minister Han also mentioned the challenges in policy matters. She remarked, "If you try to solve problem A, you encounter problem B, and if you try to solve B, you run into C; many issues are intertwined," stating that "solving this is also a skill." She expressed her ambition to create a 'highway' for small and medium enterprises, start-ups, and small business owners to race forward as the Korean economy makes its next leap.