The Small Enterprise and Market Service said on the 3rd that it launched "Sotong Maru," a communication platform with small business partner groups, and will work to strengthen on-site, policy-focused communication.
Sotong Maru is a regular consultative body with small business partner groups. It was formed to hear challenges in the field and push institutional improvements.
About 50 people, including the heads of 16 partner groups such as the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise (KFME), the National Federation of Merchant Associations, and the Korea Foodservice Industry Association, attended the launch ceremony held the previous day at the SEMAS headquarters in Daejeon.
At the meeting, they discussed management issues facing industry-specific partner groups and tasks for institutional improvement. The agency plans to reflect these in policy and supplement support measures.
SEMAS plans to make Sotong Maru a regular fixture and expand it into subcommittee councils that include not only partner groups but also academia and experts in each field.
SEMAS Chairman In Tae-yeon said, "For small business policy, what matters most is practical effectiveness that can be felt on the ground," adding, "Through Sotong Maru, we will reflect voices from the field in policy and strengthen support so that the value of small business can be realized on the ground."