Half of small and medium enterprises and small business owners (46.7%) requested President Lee Jae-myung to prioritize support for small business owners and the self-employed.
The Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises announced on the 10th the results of a survey titled "What We Hope for from the 21st President: Opinions of Small Businesses and Small Enterprises." The survey was conducted from the 4th to the 5th among 300 small and medium enterprises and small business owners.
As for the key priorities that should be emphasized in the small and medium enterprise policy pledges, the creation of a fair and cooperative transaction environment (35%), support for artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, and carbon neutrality (22.7%), and the expansion of research and development (R&D) and support for technology protection (22%) were indicated in that order.
To implement the small and medium enterprise policy pledges, strengthening communication with the small and medium enterprise community (45.3%) was considered most important. This was followed by strengthening communication and cooperation with the National Assembly and opposition parties (21.7%), participation of the small and medium enterprise community in the policy-making process (18%), and resolving silos and enhancing cooperation among government ministries (14.7%).
For successful governance, respondents highlighted the importance of revitalizing domestic demand and stabilizing livelihoods (46%), followed by driving economic growth (41%), labor reform and job creation (39%), and overcoming demographic crises such as low birth rates and aging populations (23.3%).
In particular, 6 out of 10 responding corporations (63%) expressed they expect the president to effectively implement the small and medium enterprise policy pledges.