2025 Small Business Support Budget Set at 5.4 Trillion Won... Increased by 273.3 Billion Won

New Delivery Fee Support of 203.7 Billion Won
Onnuri Gift Certificate Issuance Increased by 500 Billion to 5.5 Trillion Won

The Small Enterprise and Market Service announced on the 10th that the budget for supporting small business owners (based on the Small Enterprise Market Promotion Fund) in the 2025 government budget plan has been set at 5.4 trillion KRW, an increase of 273.3 billion KRW compared to this year.

The 2025 budget plan of the Service aligns with the self-employed and small business support measures announced on July 3rd, allocating significant funds for small business delivery fee support (20.37 billion KRW newly allocated), policy funds (+6 billion KRW), expansion of Onnuri gift certificate issuance scale (from 5 trillion KRW in 2024 to 5.5 trillion KRW in 2025), and the Hope Return Package (+9.37 billion KRW).

Looking at the major increases, first, 20.37 billion KRW has been allocated for delivery fee support to ease the management burden on small business owners. The Service will provide up to 300,000 KRW in courier and delivery fee support to micro small business owners on a temporary basis for one year starting next year. This aims to reduce the delivery fee burden, which has continuously increased through the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby alleviating the management difficulties of small business owners.

To revitalize local commercial district consumption, Onnuri gift certificates will be issued at the largest scale ever (5.5 trillion KRW). Accordingly, the Service plans to gradually expand usage by easing restrictions on Onnuri gift certificate affiliated business types (from 40 to 28 types), improving the designation procedures for alley-type shopping districts, and continuously increasing the utilization of Onnuri gift certificates through measures such as reducing fees for card-type Onnuri gift certificates.

Due to the ongoing financial difficulties of small business owners caused by accumulated high inflation and high interest rates, the scale of policy loans for small business owners has been set at 3.77 trillion KRW, about 60 billion KRW more than this year. The debt refinancing program currently underway (refinancing high-interest loans over 7% to low-interest loans) will continue to be supported next year, and small business owners facing management difficulties due to rising raw material prices will also be able to receive temporary management hardship funds starting next year.

To support the recovery of small business owners in crisis, the budget for the 'Hope Return Package' for business closure and re-start has been significantly expanded from 151.3 billion KRW to 245 billion KRW.

Next year, support for store demolition costs will be increased from 2.5 million KRW to a maximum of 4 million KRW, and new budgets for one-stop package support programs for reemployment and re-startup have been included.

Director Park Seong-hyo stated, “In line with the government’s policy, we will strengthen customized support for small business owners facing management difficulties, and make every effort to lead the resolution of small business owners’ challenges, including revitalizing local commercial districts and supporting the recovery of small business owners in crisis.”