The Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters of the Small Enterprise and Market Service officially began operations with an opening ceremony held on June 26, 2025.
Located in Sangnam-dong, Seongsan-gu, Changwon, the Gyeongnam Headquarters of the Small Enterprise and Market Service was newly established following an official proposal by Gyeongsangnam-do in March for the creation of a regional headquarters. This led to an organizational restructuring within the agency.
The headquarters consists of two teams?the Growth Support Team and the Financial Business Team?and five centers in Changwon, Jinju, Gimhae, Tongyeong, and Yangsan. A total of 35 staff members have been assigned to the headquarters.
The headquarters will carry out a variety of support programs throughout the province, including fostering small businesses, revitalizing traditional markets and shopping districts, and providing policy fund loans.
Kim Seonghong, President of the Korea Yoga Federation (from the left), Kim Gyuho, Zero Pay Team Leader of the Federation of Small and Medium Business, Park Wansu, Governor of Gyeongsangnam-do, Park Seonghyo, Chairman of the Small Enterprise and Market Service, and Yoon Jangguk, President of the Gyeongnam Merchants Association, are celebrating the opening of the Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters of the Small Enterprise and Market Service. Provided by Gyeongnam Province
About 20 people attended the opening ceremony, including Park Wansu, Governor of Gyeongsangnam-do; Park Seonghyo, Chairman of the Small Enterprise and Market Service; the Head of Regional Innovation at the Gyeongnam Office of SMEs and Startups; the Chairman of the Gyeongnam Credit Guarantee Foundation; and representatives from local small business organizations.
Governor Park stated, "I sincerely congratulate the opening of the Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters together with the residents of the province," and added, "I hope that the opening of this headquarters will become a practical foundation for supporting traditional markets and small businesses."
He continued, "In order to alleviate the burdens on small businesses in response to new distribution environments such as public delivery apps, the government and local authorities must work together to find solutions. The province will also actively contribute its efforts."
With the opening of this regional headquarters, Gyeongsangnam-do has established an independent support system separate from Busan and Ulsan. The province expects this will enable faster reflection of the voices of local small business owners and more effective policy implementation to address complex needs.
After the opening ceremony, officials from Gyeongsangnam-do and the Small Enterprise and Market Service visited Sangnam Market, a local traditional market, to have lunch together, listen directly to small business owners on site, and exchange opinions on support policies and ways to revitalize commercial districts.
Park Seonghyo, Chairman of the Small Enterprise and Market Service, said, "We established the regional headquarters based on the judgment that an independent support system was necessary for Gyeongnam, considering its population and industrial scale. I would like to express my gratitude for Gyeongsangnam-do’s special attention and support, and we will continue to closely cooperate with the province to do our utmost to increase sales and provide substantial support for small businesses and traditional markets."
Going forward, Gyeongsangnam-do plans to further strengthen its cooperation with the Small Enterprise and Market Service to develop practical policies that reflect local characteristics and on-site needs, and will make every effort to build a foundation for the sustainable growth of small businesses.
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