The Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise (KFME) urged the political parties to make the recovery of microbusinesses and the livelihood economy their top priority ahead of the June 3 local elections.
The federation said on the 16th that it announced the "Local election policies for microbusinesses for June 3" and adopted a resolution. The policy package includes a total of 22 key tasks centered on four agendas: making employment policy realistic, building a social safety net, resolving polarization, and creating a fair ecosystem. In particular, it made clear its opposition to expanding the application of the Labor Standards Act to business sites with fewer than five employees.
The federation explained that the resolution reflects the reality of 7.9 million microbusiness owners driven to the brink of closure amid the "three highs" crisis of high inflation, high interest rates, and a strong dollar, and the surge in energy expenses due to conflicts in the Middle East. It also emphasized that it included concerns about pushing forward employment legislation disconnected from on-the-ground realities.
The federation also said the local elections should serve as a turning point for restoring the livelihood economy and announced three resolutions. ▲ Creating a favorable environment for candidates who present concrete pledges that can ease management difficulties for microbusinesses ▲ Urging measures that reflect the characteristics of microbusinesses in areas such as rent, finance, and public utility fees ▲ Rolling out a "vote of hope" campaign that delivers policy tasks to candidates and votes based on them.
Song Chi-young, head of the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise (KFME), said, "If microbusinesses collapse, there is no future for the regional economy," adding, "Through this local election, we will actively communicate and act so that the voices of microbusiness owners are reflected in policy."