Ministry of SMEs and Startups Announces Winners of Regional Key Industry Video Content Contest

A Total of 30 Finalists Selected, Including Grand Prize and Excellence Awards

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on January 12 that it has revealed the winners of the 'Regional Key Industry Video Content Contest.'

This contest was held to promote a positive perception of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in regional key industries across 14 provinces and cities through short-form video content. With the slogan "Opening the Future of the Region through Innovation!", the contest ran from December of last year.

The Ministry received a total of 249 entries and, after a review by a panel of experts in the video content field, selected 30 finalists, including the Grand Prize and Excellence Awards.

The Grand Prize was awarded to one entry from each of the 14 provinces and cities, including Gangwon and Gyeongnam. In Gangwon, "Heukdori's Adventure" received the Grand Prize. The video depicted the transformation of an ordinary clay character into an advanced ceramic component, effectively conveying the technological prowess and value of Gangwon's ceramic industry.

In Gyeongnam, "The Invisible Engine" was awarded the Grand Prize. By using hand-drawn illustrations, the video likened the efforts and excellence of Gyeongnam's SMEs, which drive Korea's future industries such as advanced aviation components, to an "invisible engine."

The Ministry plans to award 5 million won, 2 million won, and 1 million won in prize money to the winners of the Grand Prize, Excellence Award, and Special Award, respectively. The 14 Grand Prize-winning works will be uploaded in relay, starting with Gangwon, through the Ministry's YouTube channel for about a month from January 12.

Kwon Soonjae, Director of Regional Enterprise Policy, stated, "The award-winning works selected through this contest are significant in that they have effectively communicated the innovative value of regional SMEs in key industries to the public," adding, "The Ministry will continue to provide field-oriented policy support so that regional SMEs can grow and the competitiveness of regional key industries can be strengthened."