The Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises said it held a "SME luncheon roundtable and K-national policy briefing" with the Office of the Prime Minister on the 3rd at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jongno District, Seoul.
The meeting was arranged for Prime Minister Kim Min-seok to share key government outcomes since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, explain the direction of future governance, and discuss difficulties faced by small and midsize businesses.
From the government, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, First Vice Minister Noh Yong-seok of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and Director-General Kim Jin of the economic coordination office at the Office for Government Policy Coordination attended. From the small-business community, Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises Chairman Kim Ki-moon, Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise (KFME) Chairman Song Chi-young, Korea Venture Capital Association Chairman Kim Hak-kyun, and Korea Federation of SME Convergence Associations Chairman Kang Hwan-soo, along with about 40 heads of SME groups and chairs of industry-specific SME cooperatives, were present.
KBIZ Chairman Kim Ki-moon said, "The stock index has recently hit a record high, but as results concentrate in some large corporations and certain sectors, the economy felt by SMEs and microbusiness owners remains difficult, raising significant concern about K-shaped growth."
He added, "Today we heard the government explain it will push policies centered on 'growth for all' that encompass SMEs, startups and ventures, and microbusiness owners," and, "the SME community will consider what role it can play and will propose on-the-ground needs to the government."
Policy proposals also followed under the theme of growth and co-prosperity, focusing on three areas: SMEs, startups and ventures, and microbusiness owners. Growth tasks for SMEs included ▲ building a collaboration ecosystem for an artificial intelligence transition (AX) beyond digital transformation (DX) ▲ expanding entry into global markets ▲ spreading a culture of getting paid the right price (supplementing and settling the system that links delivery prices to costs) ▲ and co-prosperity between banks and SMEs.
Growth tasks for startups and ventures included ▲ easing entry regulations for new industries (professional turf conflicts, regulatory sandbox) ▲ and revitalizing venture investment. As co-prosperity tasks, ▲ strengthening the effectiveness of systems to prevent technology theft ▲ and establishing a trust-based cooperation structure between large corporations and startups were also presented.