Song Chi-young, President of Sogongyeon, Meets Representative Lee Jae-myung, Requests "Supplementary Budget Allocation"

Field Meeting on Livelihood Economy Between Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise and Democratic Party on the 2nd
Proposals for Minimum Wage System Reform and Supplementary Budget Allocation

Song Chi-young, chairman of the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise, met with Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, to propose reforms to the minimum wage system and the allocation of supplementary budgets for small business owners. Lee responded, "We will do our best to respond."

Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Democratic Party of Korea-Small Business Federation Livelihood Economy Field Meeting held at the Small Business Federation conference room in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul on April 2, 2025. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

On the morning of the 2nd, at the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise's main conference room in Yeouido, Seoul, Song said at the 'Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise and Democratic Party of Korea Livelihood Economy Field Meeting', "The number of self-employed people decreased by 200,000 in just two months as of January, and vacant stores are spreading like wildfire," adding, "In a situation where the crisis of small business owners is spreading to the Korean economy, reforming the minimum wage system, which is holding back small business owners, is urgent." He continued, "A supplementary budget to prevent small business closures is urgently needed, and I ask that this supplementary budget include a significant expansion of direct loans from the Small Enterprise and Market Service, as well as support budgets to alleviate high costs such as rent and labor costs and to strengthen self-sustainability."

At the meeting, attendees included Lee Jae-myung, Jin Sung-jun, chairman of the Policy Committee, Kim Won-i, secretary of the National Assembly Industry, Trade, and Small and Medium Enterprises Committee, Nam In-soon and Park Hong-geun, chairs of the National Representatives Conference of Vocational Groups, and Oh Se-hee, chairman of the Small Business Committee. Also present were Song and other executives of the Federation, who conveyed the field situation of small business owners and proposed various measures to overcome the crisis, including ▲ the establishment of a dedicated electricity rate system for small business owners ▲ exemption of card fees when paying national taxes ▲ postponement of the application of barrier-free kiosks ▲ revision of the Commercial Lease Protection Act ▲ enactment of the Special Act on Small Business Workforce Support ▲ enactment of the Fair Online Platform Act ▲ enactment of the Small Business Welfare Act.

Lee said, "The livelihood field and local markets have deteriorated so much that it is embarrassing to show my face, and the political situation is making things worse, so I feel a great sense of responsibility," adding, "The political sphere is opposing even the small supplementary budget and engaging in political strife. It seems they do not have special interest in the truly difficult livelihood field." He added, "I hope everyone will join forces to overcome this crisis, and I will do my best to specifically find what the political sphere can do."