"Receiving 100 Calls Per Person Daily"... Inquiries About 'COVID-19' Funds

Small business owners affected by COVID-19 are receiving consultations regarding emergency management stabilization fund support at the local Small Business Support Center.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daeseop] The Small Enterprise and Market Service (SEMAS) announced on the 27th that the number of applications for emergency management stabilization funds for small business owners affected by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has surpassed 20,744 cases.

On the same day, Jo Bonghwan, the director of SEMAS, visited the Cheonan-Asan Center in Chungnam, one of the nationwide small business support centers where applications for funds have been flooding in daily due to COVID-19. He encouraged the employees who are working hard on tasks related to the emergency management stabilization funds despite the shortage of personnel.

Director Jo stated, "We will continuously support the 6.3 million small business owners so that they can quickly regain management stability despite the difficulties."

Joo Bong-hwan, President of the Small Enterprise and Market Service (left), visited the Small Business Support Center on the 27th and listened to officials about the support status of emergency management stabilization funds related to COVID-19.

SEMAS operates damage reporting centers at regional centers nationwide and has been accepting applications related to emergency management stabilization funds since the 13th. On the first day of the program, the application amount exceeded 98.5 billion KRW, and according to SEMAS, each center receives about 100 phone inquiries per person daily.

Director Jo said, "Amid the nationwide situation where not only fund applications but also management difficulty reports are being submitted, the entire organization is striving to support small business owners and traditional markets."