The small and medium-sized enterprise community and the women entrepreneurs community expressed their ‘welcome’ regarding the nomination of Han Seong-suk as the inaugural Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups under the Lee Jae-myung government.

View of the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises in Yeouido, Seoul. /Courtesy of Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises

On the 23rd, the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises stated in a position paper, ‘Han Seong-suk is a business leader with extensive experience in the information and communications (IT) industry, including Naver,’ adding that she is ‘the right person to establish a digital ecosystem that promotes the artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation of small and medium enterprises and small business owners during a time of industrial upheaval.’

The federation added, ‘After the National Assembly’s confirmation hearing, if Han Seong-suk is appointed as Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups, we hope she will solve various field challenges through close communication with the small and medium-sized enterprise community.’

On the same day, the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association also commented, ‘We sincerely welcome the nomination of Han Seong-suk, a female entrepreneur, as the inaugural Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups under the Lee Jae-myung government.’

The women entrepreneurs community said, ‘As a first-generation IT expert in Korea, Han Seong-suk is the first female CEO of Naver and has led the entire digital platform-based industry, thus we believe she is the right person to lead the digital transformation and innovative growth of women enterprises.’

The community further added, ‘We expect Han Seong-suk to leverage her accumulated experience and insights, along with the unique delicacy and inclusive leadership of female entrepreneurs, to overcome the challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises, including women enterprises, amid domestic stagnation and an unstable internal and external environment, and actively drive the enhancement of digital competitiveness.’