"Looking for Reliable Companies"... Ministry of SMEs and Startups Seeks Prestigious Long-Established Companies

Recruitment Open Until May 13

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 14th that it is recruiting Myungmun Jangsu Companies.

Exterior of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

Myungmun Jangsu Companies refer to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-sized companies that have operated soundly for over 45 years and have made significant contributions to our society and economy. A total of 53 companies have been selected from 2017 to 2024 with the purpose of presenting a desirable corporate model. The application period for this recruitment is until May 13.

Eligible applicants are SMEs and mid-sized companies with over 45 years of business experience. Construction, real estate, finance, insurance and pension industries, and financial and insurance-related service industries are excluded from eligibility. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to select this year’s Myungmun Jangsu Companies in September after conducting company evaluations and reputation verifications from June to August.

Applications can be submitted either directly by companies or through recommendations by any citizen online. Applicants must prepare the Myungmun Jangsu Company confirmation application form, business registration certificate, and other required documents, and submit them via email or mail. SMEs should submit to the Korea Federation of SMEs, and mid-sized companies to the Korea Federation of Mid-sized Enterprises by the 13th of next month.

To be selected as a Myungmun Jangsu Company, there must be no corporate tax arrears, legal violations, or social controversies. Companies are evaluated on business longevity, economic and social contributions, corporate capabilities, and technological innovation, and must score 80 points or higher.

Selected Myungmun Jangsu Companies will receive a certificate and a plaque, and may use the Myungmun Jangsu Company mark to promote their products. They will also receive benefits such as additional points when applying for Ministry of SMEs and Startups support programs including funding, export, and R&D. Detailed eligibility, application methods, and preferential benefits can be found on the Ministry’s website.

Meanwhile, this year, institutional improvements will be promoted to expand the Myungmun Jangsu Companies. As new industries incorporating the latest technologies such as ConTech (construction industry) and PropTech (real estate industry) are actively emerging, support will be expanded to include real estate and construction industries, and preferential treatment in support programs will be enhanced to encourage participation from a diverse range of Myungmun Jangsu Companies.

Kim Jeong-ju, Director of SME Strategy Planning, said, "We will improve the selection system and continuously expand incentives for Myungmun Jangsu Companies so that SMEs and mid-sized companies can sustain growth across generations and serve as good role models for small businesses."

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