Gwangju Jeonnam Regional Headquarters of Korea Federation of SMEs Holds Yellow Umbrella Rights Committee Meeting

Expansion of Welfare and Enhanced Protection for Small Business Owners

The Gwangju Jeonnam Regional Headquarters of the Korea Federation of SMEs held the '2025 First Half Gwangju·Jeonnam Yellow Umbrella Customer Rights Protection Committee' on June 18.

Committee members attending the 2025 first half Gwangju Jeonnam Yellow Umbrella Customer Rights Protection Committee are taking a commemorative photo. Photo by Korea Federation of SMEs Gwangju Jeonnam Headquarters

The committee is co-chaired by Professor Jung Yonggi of Chonnam National University and Jeong Kwanho, CEO of Chosunok. A total of eight people attended, including experts from various fields and Yellow Umbrella subscribers. Since 2022, this committee has been operating as an advisory body for improving the Yellow Umbrella system and protecting the rights and interests of its subscribers.

During the meeting, participants discussed the 2024 operational status, plans for 2025, major issues, and ways to expand welfare. In particular, they shared opinions on system improvements such as easing the health insurance premium burden in the event of voluntary cancellation, relaxing the restrictions on eligible business types, and extending the statute of limitations for claims on benefit payments. They also discussed welfare service enhancements, including expanding call centers and resort facilities. The committee members agreed on the need to expand external agreements and promotional activities for the Yellow Umbrella Mutual Aid Association.

The Yellow Umbrella Mutual Aid Association is a mutual aid project introduced in 2007 based on the Small and Medium Enterprise Cooperatives Act. It is designed to protect small business owners from threats to their livelihood and to support business recovery. As of the end of May 2025, there are 1.8 million registered subscribers nationwide, with accumulated contributions totaling 29 trillion won. In the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions, there are 47,000 and 54,000 subscribers, respectively. Committee chairs Jung Yonggi and Jeong Kwanho stated, "The committee will fulfill its role as a practical safety net for small business owners."