Korea Federation of SMEs Holds '2025 New Year's Meeting for Small and Medium Entrepreneurs'

Acting President and National Assembly Speaker Among 400 Attendees Gathered in One Place

The Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business (Kbiz) announced on the 3rd that it held the '2025 New Year's Gathering of Small and Medium Business People' at the Kbiz Hall in Yeouido, inviting over 400 key figures from various sectors and regions, including representatives of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), SME organizations, government, and the National Assembly.

At the event, a moment of silence was observed for the victims of the Jeju Air passenger plane accident, and all attendees wore mourning ribbons, creating a solemn atmosphere.

The 'New Year's Gathering of Small and Medium Business People' is an occasion for SME representatives to pledge the economic leap forward of the Republic of Korea for the new year and to draw a blueprint for the year together with the government, the National Assembly, and related organizations.

To encourage SMEs, the event brought together Choi Sang-mok, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, currently serving as the head of the executive branch of the Republic of Korea, and Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly.

From the business community, attendees included ▲ Kim Ki-moon, Chairman of the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business, ▲ Ryu Jin, Chairman of the Korea Entrepreneurs Association, ▲ Sohn Kyung-shik, Chairman of the Korea Employers Federation, ▲ Choi Jin-sik, Chairman of the Korea Federation of Mid-sized Enterprises, as well as financial holding company chairpersons, media representatives, heads of SME organizations, and representatives of SMEs by industry and region.

From the government, attendees included ▲ Acting Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok ▲ Cho Tae-yeol, Minister of Foreign Affairs ▲ Kim Moon-soo, Minister of Employment and Labor ▲ Oh Young-joo, Minister of SMEs and Startups ▲ Han Ki-jung, Chairman of the Fair Trade Commission ▲ Kim Byung-hwan, Chairman of the Financial Services Commission ▲ Joo Hyung-hwan, Vice Chairman of the Committee on Population, Aging Society and Future ▲ Kwon Ki-seop, Chairman of the Economic, Social and Labor Council ▲ Kang Min-soo, Commissioner of the National Tax Service ▲ Lim Ki-geun, Administrator of the Public Procurement Service ▲ Lee Sang-duk, Commissioner of the Overseas Koreans Foundation, along with local government heads, heads of SME-related organizations, and ambassadors to Korea from the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Vietnam.

From the National Assembly, attendees included ▲ Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly, ▲ Kwon Seong-dong, Floor Leader of the People Power Party, ▲ Lee Eon-ju, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, ▲ Song Eon-seok, Chairman of the Planning and Finance Committee, ▲ Kim Seok-ki, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee and member of the Democratic Party, ▲ Kwon Chil-seung, ▲ Kim Seong-hwan, ▲ Oh Se-hee, ▲ Jeong Jin-wook, ▲ Kwak Sang-eon, and ▲ Kim Dong-a, among others.

In his New Year's address, Kim Ki-moon, Chairman of Kbiz, introduced the four-character idiom selected by the SME community, ‘Innae Oeyang (忍耐外揚)’, emphasizing, “With patience, any difficulty can be overcome. Although the economic situation is not easy, let us work together for a new future.”

He continued, “These days, due to political turmoil and ideological conflicts, the situation for our businesspeople is harsher and more difficult than midwinter weather. I urge the National Assembly to focus on economic and livelihood legislation, and the government to implement economic policies without wavering. We businesspeople will also do our best for a Korea that runs again.”