Jungjingong and APEC Gather to Drive SME Digital Financial Innovation Together

'2024 APEC SME Digital Finance and Fintech Innovation Forum' Held

The Small and Medium Business Corporation announced on the 26th that it held the '2024 APEC SME Digital Finance and Fintech Innovation Forum' at Hotel Naru M Gallery in Seoul.

This forum was jointly hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and organized by the Small and Medium Business Corporation to establish a foundation for the innovative growth of digital finance and fintech for SMEs within the APEC region, as well as to share experiences and policies among member countries.

Small and Medium Business Corporation

The forum was attended by about 100 participants, including speakers and officials from APEC member countries, and related domestic and international organizations, both on-site and online. The main theme was 'Digital Finance Innovation and the Future of SMEs,' and it was divided into three sessions: ▲Current status and prospects of digital finance and fintech ▲Successful cases of digital finance and fintech utilization ▲Measures to improve digital finance accessibility for APEC SMEs.

Keynote speeches for each session were delivered by Professor Jongseop Lee from Seoul National University Business School, Director Yushin Jeong of the Digital Economy and Finance Research Institute at the Korea Fintech Industry Association, and Chonladet Kemeratana, Chairman of the Thailand Fintech Association.

After the lectures, experts from seven countries including South Korea, Thailand, China, the Philippines, Peru, Russia, and Indonesia shared their national policies, followed by panel discussions and Q&A sessions on the topics of each session.

Kim Ilho, Global Growth Director of the Small and Medium Business Corporation, said, “This forum will serve as an opportunity to improve financial accessibility for SMEs and expand participation in the fintech industry by sharing the current status and cases of digital finance and fintech among APEC member countries,” adding, “In 2025, as the APEC chair country, South Korea will take the lead through the Small and Medium Business Corporation to support digital finance innovation for SMEs to contribute to the shared prosperity within the APEC region.”