Vice Minister Noh Yong-seok said on the 31st that he held a meeting with officials from the embassy in Seoul.
This meeting was organized to explain the overall plan for the 'Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting on Small and Medium Enterprises' to be held in Jeju in September and to request active participation from governments of each country for its successful hosting.
The APEC Ministerial Meeting on Small and Medium Enterprises is one of the APEC sectoral ministerial meetings, held annually since 1994 to discuss issues concerning small and medium-sized enterprises and small businesses in the APEC region. It will be held domestically after 20 years since it was held in Korea from August 24 to September 2, 2005, under the auspices of the Small and Medium Business Administration. Various related events, including 'Challenge! K-Startup' and 'Global Venture Investment Summit,' will also take place.
This meeting plans to focus on the theme of 'small and medium enterprises as agents of sustainable and inclusive growth,' discussing ▲ innovation cases of corporations using artificial intelligence (AI) and other tools ▲ policy efforts of each country in response to declining population and climate change ▲ collaboration between large and small businesses and public-private partnerships for inclusive growth.
Vice Minister Noh Yong-seok noted, "The APEC Ministerial Meeting on Small and Medium Enterprises is a very meaningful occasion to discuss the present and future of small and medium enterprises at home and abroad, being held in Korea for the first time in 20 years," adding, "I hope that this meeting will lay the foundation for practical cooperation among APEC member countries."