New Small Enterprise & Market Service (SEMAS) President In Tae-yeon on the 29th set out three directions for running the agency as his first message upon taking office.
SEMAS is a quasi-governmental agency under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups that handles support programs for small merchants and traditional markets. In, who took office on the 28th, previously served as head of the Bupyeong Culture Street Merchants Association, co-chair of the National Federation of Merchants, and chair of the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise. Later, during the Moon Jae-in administration in 2018, he served as the first secretary for self-employed affairs in the presidential office.
In said in his inaugural address that "the government views small merchants and traditional markets not as objects of protection but as agents of growth," adding, "As the front-line agency that puts that policy direction into practice in the field, SEMAS must now speak through results, beyond mere execution."
In first proposed "growth beyond recovery" as the first direction. He said, "The role of the agency is not to stop at short-term support but to help small merchants build their own competitiveness and leap to the next level," adding, "We will create a systematic pathway for local ideas and traditional markets to grow into regional assets."
In also emphasized "change felt on the ground." He said, "Policy should be judged by results, not explanations," adding, "What matters more than the size of support is streamlining the application and execution process and how much business conditions actually improve after support."
Lastly, In stressed the "use of data and technology." He said, "Through AI and digital education and technology, we will support capacity building and commercialization tailored to each small merchant's situation."