The small and medium-sized enterprises sector expressed its position, saying, "We congratulate and welcome Han Seong-suk on her appointment as the first Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups of the Lee Jae-myung government."
The Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises noted in a comment on the 24th, "We hope that Minister Han Seong-suk will focus on the digitalization of small and medium enterprises and small business owners based on her experience and knowledge accumulated in the information and communications (IT) industry, such as Naver."
In particular, it emphasized the need to strengthen the competitiveness of small manufacturing businesses. KBIZ stated, "While global competition is intensifying in advanced manufacturing and the AI sector, domestic small manufacturing enterprises are facing difficulties such as labor shortages and declining productivity," and added, "We ask for your efforts to strengthen the competitiveness of AI-based small manufacturing businesses."
It also emphasized the importance of close communication. The small and medium-sized enterprises sector commented, "The policies of the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups target a complex and diverse range of entities from small business owners to medium-sized enterprises," and they expressed, "We hope that through close communication with the small and medium-sized enterprises sector, you will address the numerous difficulties in the field, from restoring livelihoods to tariff wars, labor shortages, and fair trading."
On the same day, the Korea Venture Business Association also released a comment, stating, "We congratulate and welcome Han Seong-suk on her appointment as the Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups," adding, "We have high expectations that the new minister, as an IT expert from the corporate sector, will lead innovation in the rapidly changing AI era and play a significant role in revitalizing and strengthening the competitiveness of Korea's venture ecosystem."
The venture business sector stated, "Current issues in the venture industry include expanding the venture finance market, regulatory innovation, and the flexibility of the working hours system," expressing, "We hope you will foster a venture ecosystem that enables Korea's ventures to lead the world."