"Ministry of SMEs and Startups Will Deliver"... Park Young-sun Ahead of 1st Anniversary of Inauguration

Smart Korea Goal
Strong Force to Turn the COVID-19 Crisis
Into an Opportunity

Park Young-sun, Minister of SMEs and Startups

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daeseop] "Dressing South Korea with smartness. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will make it happen."

On the 5th, Minister Park Young-sun of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups expressed this on Facebook, saying, "Everyone is having a hard time, but please trust the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. We will approach with a more humble attitude," reflecting on her first anniversary in office.

Minister Park said, "It will be one year since I joined the Ministry of SMEs and Startups on the 8th," adding, "I vividly remember taking the KTX after receiving my appointment letter and being welcomed by the staff at the Daejeon office."

She continued, "There were truly many events during the past year that felt like riding an arrow. The first week started with tears of small and medium enterprises and small business owners affected by the wildfires in Gangwon Province. I am curious about what changes have occurred in their lives over the past year, during which we embraced and cried together."

Minister Park also mentioned her thoughts after the COVID-19 pandemic. She said, "At that time, Director Heo Young-hoe of the Gangwon SME Office, who reported daily on the one-on-one tailored solutions for the recovery from the Gangwon wildfires, is now managing the direct loan of 10 million KRW to small business owners struggling due to COVID-19 every day. Watching this, I have thought that our lives are an endless challenge and overcoming."

She added, "We have run tirelessly for the past year, but the unexpected COVID-19 has frozen us all recently. However, creating the Corona Map, establishing South Korea’s pride in the world with diagnostic kits, making the Mask Map to provide convenience to citizens, and the connection of caring companies through smart factories that greatly increased mask production?these connections of small things, and the strong power of ventures, startups, and SMEs all trying to turn the COVID-19 crisis into an opportunity, deserve applause."

Minister Park emphasized the inherent strength of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. She explained, "The Ministry is composed of people who majored in humanities and those who majored in technology and science, mixed about half and half." She continued, "The meeting of humanities and technology/science is the greatest strength that other ministries do not have. It is the very intersection of humanities and technology/science that Steve Jobs emphasized, which is the source of the strong power inherent in the Ministry’s staff."

She also explained, "Although the past year was difficult, the Ministry’s staff led the second venture boom with the best-ever venture investment performance, and during the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, they have been doing their best to wipe the tears of small business owners and SMEs from early morning with the emergency direct loan policy of 10 million KRW for small business owners, something never done before."

Minister Park urged to run toward another future this year. She said, "We will minimize trial and error in the field and approach criticism about waiting more closely. Still, the staff gain strength from the voices of encouragement saying the government is doing its best."

She added, "Now, we must run toward another future we have never experienced before. The great transition to a digital economy and a smart Korea is the future the Ministry of SMEs and Startups has set as its goal this year."

Minister Park said, "With the era of digital economic transformation, which has gained more national attention due to COVID-19, the internet-based online economy and contactless untact economy are expected to surge. This will be realized through smart factories, smart stores, smart services, smart startups, and smart workshops, which are efforts to dress South Korea with smartness."