Kim Hak-do "The Best Support Organization for Small and Medium Venture Businesses"... New Chairman of KOSME Inaugurated

Kim Hak-do, President of the Small and Medium Business Corporation

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daeseop] Kim Hak-do, former Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, has been appointed as the 18th President of the Small and Medium Business Corporation (SBC). SBC plans to hold an inauguration ceremony on the afternoon of the 19th at its headquarters in Jinju, Gyeongnam.

Newly appointed President Kim Hak-do expressed his inauguration aspirations, stating, "I will carry on the 41-year history of dedicated efforts for the growth of small and medium enterprises and startups, and fulfill my role as a driving force to lead SBC as the best service support institution for SMEs and startups in Korea."

As his first official schedule after inauguration, President Kim will visit Aspic, an automobile parts manufacturing company located in Gimhae, Gyeongnam, to encourage their efforts in maintaining employment and creating a good job environment despite the damages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Kim emphasized the importance of overcoming the COVID-19 crisis and announced four major innovation plans that SBC will focus on in the post-COVID era: ▲Manufacturing innovation and job creation through smartization and digitalization ▲Fostering innovative growth companies by enhancing business effectiveness and efficiency ▲Improving service quality and organizational performance through strengthening professional capabilities ▲Customer-centered management through enhanced field communication as the key directions for institutional operation.

He plans to concentrate all of SBC’s capabilities on discovering policies that respond to future industrial structures and fostering innovative growth companies. To ensure the success of the Korean New Deal project, he will prepare support measures in the eco-friendly sector to create new jobs and provide focused support by industry for new sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and smart manufacturing, leading the innovative growth of SMEs and startups in the post-COVID era.

To this end, SBC will offer a package of its financial support, marketing, non-face-to-face online export support platform, global AI startup academy, and smart manufacturing workforce training programs.

President Kim stated, "To present a vision for SMEs in the post-COVID era, innovation is needed across all areas including business, customer service, organization, and personnel. I will build an organic and systematic organization based on expertise and efficiency."

He added, "To achieve this, we will quickly establish a '100-day innovation plan' by forming a dedicated team with voluntary participation from employees. Furthermore, I will lead the institution with management principles of communication and harmony, change and innovation, integrity and fairness, and a lively and energetic organizational culture."

Born in 1962 in Cheongju, Chungbuk, President Kim graduated from Cheongju High School and Seoul National University with a degree in International Economics. He completed a master's degree in Public Administration at Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Administration and a doctoral course in Political Economy at the University of Southern California. He entered public service by passing the 31st Administrative Examination and has held positions such as Director of New Industry Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, spokesperson, Director of Trade Negotiations, and Director of Energy Resources. He is an expert in SME policy, having served as President of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology and Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. He will lead SBC for the next three years.

SBC is a quasi-governmental organization established to efficiently promote projects for the advancement of small and medium enterprises. It manages a fund of approximately 19 trillion KRW for SME and startup creation and promotion. This year, it is the representative institution supporting SMEs by executing policy funds worth 5.69 trillion KRW.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.