Korea Small Business Institute Holds Forum on "Future 10-Year Strategies for Small Business Owners and the Self-Employed in the Era of Transformation"

To Be Held Twice on June 26 and 30

The Korea Small Business Institute announced on June 24 that it will hold two rounds of forums in collaboration with Representative Oh Sehee of the Democratic Party of Korea and the National Assembly Forum on Small Business and Livelihood Issues, aiming to explore policy directions for the next 10 years for small business owners and self-employed individuals.

The first forum will take place on June 26 at 2:00 p.m. in Meeting Room 9 of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. The agenda will include presentations and discussions on the following topics: redefining the concept of small businesses, diagnosing the structural problems behind management crises and proposing alternatives, and evaluating and finding solutions for the government’s small business policies.

On the first day, Nam Yunhyeong, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Small Business Institute, will deliver a presentation titled "Redefining the Concept of Small Businesses from a Policy Perspective." This will be followed by a presentation from Jung Sujeong, Director of the Small Business and Coexistence Research Division at the Korea Small Business Institute, under the title "A Paradigm Shift in Policy for Small Businesses as the Pillar of the Livelihood Economy." In the subsequent comprehensive discussion, Lee Jeonghee, Professor at Chung-Ang University, will serve as moderator, with Kim Sangtae, Professor at Sungkyunkwan University, Cha Namsu, Head of Policy at the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprises, and Yoon Seokbae, Director of the Small Business Policy Division at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, participating as panelists to engage in an active debate on key issues.

The second forum will be held on June 30 at 2:00 p.m. in Seminar Room 1 of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, under the agenda "New Strategies for Startup and Scale-up Support Policies and Alternatives for Revitalizing Commercial Districts."

The first presenter, Choi Jaeseop, Professor at Namseoul University, will speak on "Strengthening Life Cycle Policies for Small Business Owners and the Self-Employed: Focusing on Building Public Infrastructure." The second presentation will be delivered by Jung Eunae, Research Fellow at the Korea Small Business Institute, on "Redefining the Foundation of Small Business Management and Commercial District Policies for Sustainable Regional Economies." In the subsequent comprehensive discussion, Lee Byunghee, Professor at Hanyang University, will serve as moderator, while Kim Yuoh, Director of the Policy Research Institute at the Small Enterprise and Market Service, Cha Namsu, Head of Policy at the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprises, and Kim Minsu, Director of the Regional Commercial District Division at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, will participate as discussants to conduct an in-depth discussion on major current issues.

Representative Oh Sehee emphasized, "There are 7.66 million small business owners, who are the backbone of our economy and the capillaries of livelihoods and local economies. Their management stability and growth can drive vitality in the national economy. We must urgently seek a paradigm shift in policies for small business owners and the self-employed in response to demographic changes, shifts in the economic environment, changes in consumption trends, and the expansion of online platforms, so as to prepare small business policies that address the needs of future society."

Jo Juhyeon, President of the Korea Small Business Institute, stated, "Small business owners and the self-employed account for more than 95% of all businesses and are responsible for about 46% of employment, making them central to the livelihood economy. I hope these forums will produce policy alternatives to address complex issues such as digital transformation, recovery of the livelihood economy, and revitalization of local commercial districts, as well as institutional limitations, and become a turning point for the sustainable growth of small business owners and the self-employed."