Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise Meets Speaker Woo, Urges Extension of Distribution Industry Development Act

Proposals Delivered on Micro Enterprise Welfare Act and Other Key Issues

The Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise met with Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly, urging an extension of the Distribution Industry Development Act, which is set to expire in November.

On the 8th, Song Chi-young, chairman of the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise, met with Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly, at the Speaker's office in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, to present proposed agenda items. Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise

On the 8th, the federation announced that it had held a meeting with Speaker Woo and the executive board at the Speaker's office in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, to make this request. The Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise, which represents 7.9 million micro business owners and includes industry associations and local chapters nationwide as members, attended the meeting.

First, Song Chi-young, chairman of the federation, welcomed the recent announcement at a high-level government-ruling party meeting regarding the establishment of a vice minister dedicated to micro enterprises within the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. He also requested the National Assembly's continued attention until the passage of the Government Organization Act.

He then strongly recommended extending the Distribution Industry Development Act, which is set to sunset in November. Chairman Song stated, "The Distribution Industry Development Act is the minimum safeguard protecting micro enterprises from the encroachment of large supermarkets into local commercial districts, and I ask for the Speaker's deep interest in this matter." He added, "Please include large food material supermarkets, which disrupt the distribution ecosystem, as entities subject to the law."

In addition, the federation delivered several other proposals to Speaker Woo, including the enactment of the Micro Enterprise Welfare Act, mandatory disclosure of commercial building management fees, expansion of income deduction rates for micro enterprise workplaces, establishment of a social safety net for micro enterprises that close, and the construction of micro enterprise education centers. The federation requested active interest and legislative action from the National Assembly on these issues.

Speaker Woo expressed interest in the federation's proposals, stating, "The establishment of a vice minister dedicated to micro enterprises within the Ministry of SMEs and Startups is a significant advancement since micro enterprises became a focus of policy. As I am particularly interested in micro enterprise issues, I will work to ensure these concerns are communicated effectively through consultation with the dedicated vice minister."