Small and Medium Business Ombudsman Meets with Small Business Associations for Communication

First Regular Meeting of 2025
Discussion on Postponing Installation of Barrier-Free Kiosks for the Disabled

Choi Seung-jae, the Small and Medium Business Ombudsman, held his first regular meeting and began on-site activities. The Small and Medium Business Ombudsman announced on the 27th that it held an on-site meeting with small business associations by industry at Post Tower in Jung-gu, Seoul.

This year, the Ombudsman plans to hold 12 sessions of ‘S.O.S. Talk’ nationwide, including Daegu, Jeonju, and Gangwon, in collaboration with the Small and Medium Business Corporation to listen to the difficulties of small and medium enterprises and improve regulations. In addition, the on-site meetings for small business owners will focus on hearing the difficulties faced by small business owners and self-employed individuals struggling with recent price increases and economic recession, and will be held four times a year in Seoul, Daegu, Incheon, etc., together with the Small Enterprise and Market Service.

Choi Seung-jae, Small and Medium Business Ombudsman

The Ombudsman plans to actively consult with relevant ministries on the issues raised during the on-site meetings and provide ‘feedback’ to the companies that made the suggestions. For national policies that are difficult to improve immediately or for mid- to long-term proposals, consultations will continue to ensure that relevant ministries actively reflect them when establishing policies in the future.

Attending the meeting were Choi Seung-jae, the Ombudsman, Lee Byung-kwon, head of the Seoul Regional Small and Medium Venture Business Administration, and Kim Yoo-oh, director of the Small Enterprise and Market Service Research Institute. The Korea Coin Karaoke Practice Association, the Korea Accommodation Business Association, the Korea Foodservice Industry Association, and the Korea Bathhouse Association participated.

At the meeting, the Korea Foodservice Industry Association requested a postponement of the mandatory installation of ‘Barrier-Free kiosks.’ ‘Barrier-Free kiosks’ refer to unmanned payment machines equipped with functions such as facial recognition and sign language video guidance to facilitate convenience for socially vulnerable groups such as the disabled and the elderly. According to the Act on the Prohibition of Discrimination against Disabled Persons, business owners who do not install ‘Barrier-Free kiosks’ must pay fines.

In response, the Ombudsman said that after consulting with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, they would seek various support measures considering the current legislative intent and the on-site preparation status such as device supply conditions. They also responded that they plan to secure a budget for the distribution of barrier-free devices and find comprehensive improvement measures for the convenience of small business owners and disabled users through research projects.

Choi Seung-jae, the Small and Medium Business Ombudsman, said, “We have taken the first step of 16 regular meetings this year,” and added, “We will carry out on-site activities with a more proactive attitude to achieve regulatory improvements that small and medium enterprises and small business owners can feel.”