[New Year's Message] Minister Lee Young: "Leading Digital Innovation in the New Year"

Lee Young, Minister of SMEs and Startups.

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] Lee Young, Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated on the 31st, "In the Year of the Black Rabbit, we will take the lead in digital innovation."

In his New Year's address, Minister Lee said, "The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will take the lead in digital innovation with the goal of becoming a 'Startup Powerhouse Creating the Future in the Digital Economy Era,' so that in the new year, crises become opportunities and opportunities lead to growth beyond mere survival."

Minister Lee began by saying, "2022 was a year when the Ministry of SMEs and Startups worked together to lighten your burdens and share them," adding, "We promptly paid compensation for losses amounting to 23 trillion won and opened a door that had been closed for 14 years by legislating the delivery price linkage system."

He emphasized, "In the new year, we will help startups and venture companies become innovation drivers that can lead the global and digital economy," and added, "We will strengthen overseas networks by collaborating with global venture capital (VC) and support foreign entrepreneurs in Korea to strive for a leap as a global hub." Minister Lee further stated, "We will focus on nurturing deep-tech startups in 10 key fields that will dominate the digital economy and create a new symbiotic model where platform companies and small business owners grow together."

Minister Lee also promised to strengthen the productivity and technological capabilities of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to become a solid pillar for exports and job creation. He stressed, "We will promote the exportization of SMEs and diversification of export markets, and achieve a breakthrough in productivity by advancing the smart level of manufacturing sites in SMEs," adding, "We will fully implement the delivery price linkage system and spread a culture of fair compensation for software to establish a fair economic order where SMEs are rewarded according to their capabilities."

He declared that entrepreneurial small business owners will also be nurtured. Minister Lee said, "We will develop alleyway ventures and local brands into global representative brands of neighborhood commercial districts," and added, "We will promote the smart and online transformation of small business owners, utilize big data, and hold a large-scale nationwide mutual growth consumption festival throughout the year."

Furthermore, Minister Lee mentioned that he will take the lead in regulatory reform, including the introduction of 'Global Innovation Zones' for new industry demonstrations and the removal of 'hurdle regulations' that block entry into new industries.

He emphasized, "To overcome complex crises, we will establish a proactive response system to provide a safety net that healthy companies can rely on," and added, "Through a great transformation into a global startup powerhouse, Korea will overcome crises and take a leap forward. In the Year of the Black Rabbit, we will embody the wisdom and agility of the rabbit and unite all our capabilities as one."

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