Ministry of SMEs and Startups Makes Bold Appointment of a 30s Director... "We Will Create Jobs That Youth Want"

New Youth Policy Division Composed of Employees in Their 20s and 30s Established
Manager Kim Minji Assigned Mission to Spread 'Startup Boom'
"Fair Compensation and Welfare Are Important... Must Support Business Growth"

Kim Min-ji, Director of the Youth Policy Division at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups Photo by Ministry of SMEs and Startups

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] "The mission of the Youth Policy Division is to create jobs that young people want to pursue. We will listen to the voices of youth and convey them to the older generation."

Kim Min-ji, head of the Youth Policy Division at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, expressed this ambition in a recent interview held at the Global Startup Academy in Guro-gu, Seoul. The newly established Youth Policy Division, launched on the 7th, will comprehensively promote policies to spread the youth startup boom. In particular, it plans to support the smooth implementation of the core tasks of the 'Youth Startup Activation Plan' announced last May.

The Youth Policy Division is composed of young public officials in their 20s and 30s to plan and execute startup policies that align with the perspectives of youth. Kim, who is 35 years old this year, was appointed in a groundbreaking manner for this reason. However, she stated, "I am not the youngest division head; I was originally a candidate for promotion to division head," adding, "There have been cases in the Ministry of SMEs and Startups where division heads were appointed at ages 33 or 34." Kim joined the Small and Medium Business Administration in 2011 and has experienced various policies including SME policy management, policy analysis, finance, and ventures.

She said, "Not only the Ministry of SMEs and Startups but also four other ministries have newly established Youth Policy Divisions. This signifies how important youth policy is," and added, "We will listen to the voices of youth and convey them to the older generation." She continued, "Although startup support systems are relatively well established, many do not know what support measures they need," emphasizing, "We need to improve youth policies that are currently supplier-centered." She plans to create opportunities to hear diverse voices from SME employees, job seekers, and others in the future.

Creating SME jobs that young people want to pursue is Kim’s main mission. When asked what constitutes a good job, she replied, "A job where one receives fair compensation for their work and is guaranteed appropriate welfare benefits." Besides venture companies, which have recently led job creation, she stated that small manufacturing companies should also become attractive workplaces by improving working conditions and accessibility to industrial complexes. Thanks to her father, who has long operated an SME, she understands the industry situation better than anyone. Kim emphasized, "Financial difficulties and manpower shortages are the biggest problems faced by SMEs," and said, "We must resolve management difficulties so that SMEs can attract young talent and help companies grow."

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