Listening to Young Entrepreneurs' Real Challenges
Governor Kim Issues Special Instructions for Concrete Support
Calls for Tangible Changes Beyond Words
Gyeonggi Province Governor Dongyeon Kim met with young entrepreneurs during a 2-day, 1-night public livelihood tour in Yangju and Namyangju, directly listening to their practical difficulties and instructing his team to devise concrete support measures.
Gyeonggi Province Governor Dongyeon Kim is giving a greeting while meeting young entrepreneurs during a 2-day, 1-night public livelihood tour in Yangju and Namyangju. Provided by Gyeonggi Province
On August 26, Governor Kim attended the "Listening to Real Stories with the Governor" roundtable for young entrepreneurs at the Yangju Youth Center, where he heard from 12 representatives of young startup companies active in various fields such as online sales, automotive technology, and kitchen furniture design.
The young entrepreneurs mainly voiced concerns about funding, livelihood support, and institutional barriers.
Representative A said, "I invested all of my severance pay to produce products, but had to discard the entire batch. I tried to get a loan, but was rejected because I had no sales record for the past three months." Representative B added, "It would be helpful to have youth center facilities like those in Seoul. I hope there will be financial support programs to help entrepreneurs make ends meet."
Representative C commented, "If you receive support from a central government ministry, you can't get support from Gyeonggi Province due to the restriction on overlapping benefits. I wish this could be changed. Wage subsidies for hiring employees are desperately needed."
Other requests included: direct support for operating expenses (such as telecommunications and electricity bills) for early-stage entrepreneurs; resolving the lack of childcare facilities; and expanding opportunities for public institution bidding.
Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon is meeting with young entrepreneurs during a 2-day tour of Yangju and Namyangju to directly listen to their practical difficulties. Provided by Gyeonggi Province
Senior officials from the provincial government and affiliated agencies explained various measures, such as loans for early-stage entrepreneurs, R&D support, expanding startup competitions, and the possibility of increased childcare support. However, Governor Kim expressed some frustration with these responses.
Governor Kim said, "If we keep saying this is someone else's responsibility, we won't find answers. Both the provincial government and its affiliated public institutions must take responsibility. We need to start by getting our hands dirty, just like citizens and businesspeople do."
He then issued special instructions to his senior officials to actively review the following four items:
Developing ways for venture companies to participate in public sector procurement; creating methods to allow loans based on technology or potential, even without collateral or three months of sales records; providing wage subsidies for hiring employees; and reconsidering the policy that prohibits overlapping support from Gyeonggi Province when central government support has already been received.
Regarding public sector procurement for venture companies, Governor Kim asked, "If the public sector doesn't buy products from ventures or small businesses, how can they build a track record and open up new markets?"
He especially emphasized, "Public procurement is the starting point for market access for ventures and small businesses," and called for visible results in the near future.
Gyeonggi Province Governor Dongyeon Kim is taking a commemorative photo after directly listening to the practical difficulties of young entrepreneurs during a 2-day 1-night public livelihood tour in Yangju and Namyangju. Provided by Gyeonggi Province
For other suggestions raised by participants-such as adjusting the cap on support amounts, expanding support for prospective social enterprises, and addressing childcare issues-Governor Kim instructed internal discussions or consultations with central government agencies.
In conclusion, Governor Kim stated, "We will create a channel where young entrepreneurs can speak up as they did today and public officials are required to respond," emphasizing, "This roundtable must not end as mere talk, but must lead to real and tangible changes."
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