The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on the 1st that it signed a business agreement on the 31st at Gwajeoui Sung Co. in Sokcho, Gangwon, with Sokcho City Hall and the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) to launch the "Sokcho city collaboration-type Tomorrow Filling Mutual Aid and preferential savings mutual aid for employees of small and medium-sized enterprises."
The agreement was pushed to promote cooperation among the central government, local governments, and public institutions to support long-term service and asset building for employees of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Sokcho area, thereby revitalizing the local economy. In particular, it is significant in that the local government participates as the main body for budget formulation to design workforce policies tailored to local characteristics, and the central government backs them up.
Under the agreement, the preferential savings mutual aid will start enrollment in April. If an employee of a small or medium-sized enterprise in Sokcho saves 100,000 won per month for three years, Sokcho city and KOSME will each provide an additional 20,000 won, yielding a monthly savings effect of 140,000 won. The program will support a total of 900 people, operating for 300 people per year.
The Tomorrow Filling Mutual Aid will support a total of 300 people over three years (100 people per year) starting in the second half. If an employee of a small or medium-sized enterprise pays 100,000 won per month, the small or medium-sized enterprise and Sokcho city will each add 120,000 won, resulting in a total of 12.7 million won after three years. This is about 3.5 times the employee's contribution of 3.6 million won.
Jo Seong-jo, CEO of Gwajeoui Sung Co., who took part in the event and made a pre-application, said, "The biggest concern in running a corporation in the region is that it is not easy to attract talent despite having good products and production infrastructure," and added, "By participating in this collaboration-type mutual aid program, we will establish a virtuous cycle structure such as securing talent and expanding sales channels, and move forward as a corporation that grows together with the region."
Sokcho Mayor Lee Byeong-seon said, "This is an essential investment for stabilizing the workforce of local corporations and for workers' asset building," and added, "We hope this will serve as an opportunity for Sokcho to be reborn as a city where young people want to stay and where jobs are available."
Han Seong-sook, Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), said, "This agreement is a new policy model in which the central government, local governments, and public institutions collaborate to directly support employees of local small and medium-sized enterprises," and added, "Starting with Sokcho city, we will expand collaboration with local governments to help stabilize the workforce and build assets for local small and medium-sized enterprises, and create a foundation to respond to the crisis of regional extinction."
Meanwhile, before the event, the Minister visited Sokcho Tourist and Fisheries Market to hold a meeting with merchants and checked the on-site difficulties and the business conditions felt in traditional markets ahead of the holiday peak season.