Crisis Response System for Small Business Owners Using Policy Funds to Be Strengthened

Pilot Introduction of Alternative Evaluation System
Sixth Roundtable Held on "Small Business Recovery and Strengthening of Safety Nets"

To provide early support for small business owners struggling due to the ongoing economic slowdown and sluggish consumption, the crisis response system will be strengthened.

On September 2, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that it held its sixth roundtable discussion focused on "Small Business Recovery and Safety Net Enhancement" at the Daejeon Training Center of the Small Enterprise and Market Service.

First, in order to proactively guide small business owners through customized support policies tailored to management crises, the ministry plans to expand and reorganize the existing "AI Voice Bot" and "Early Warning System." Currently, the AI Voice Bot provides overdue borrowers with information on their delinquency status, issues virtual accounts, introduces restart and debt adjustment support programs, and offers counseling and guidance. The Early Warning System monitors real-time changes in credit scores for policy loan direct borrowers, and checks whether small business owners at risk of insolvency (those in the warning category) intend to continue their businesses.

Going forward, instead of operating these functions separately, the ministry will implement a phased and integrated approach for small business owners showing signs of crisis. The AI Voice Bot will guide not only overdue borrowers but also small business owners identified as at risk of insolvency with tailored support policies, and will comprehensively check related information such as loan history and sales fluctuations for both at-risk and 31-day-plus overdue borrowers. For these individuals, in-depth counseling will be provided through on-site surveys to assess repayment difficulties, risk of closure, and level of debt. In addition, a mandatory pre-management diagnosis will be implemented for small business owners with mid- to low-credit scores, and based on the diagnosis results, one-on-one coaching and business recovery programs will be provided.

In addition, starting next year, regional credit guarantee foundations will pilot a program that utilizes data from credit information companies to provide phased support for small business owners showing signs of crisis, including diagnostic assessments and capacity-building education to help stabilize their operations.

Beginning in the first quarter of 2026, the "Alternative Evaluation Model for Small Businesses," which uses sales data from credit card companies, will also be piloted for special management stabilization funds (loans for credit-vulnerable small business owners). Through this, the time required to execute loans will be reduced from 28 days to 21 days, and early-stage entrepreneurs or small business owners who have not reported sales and previously required on-site inspections due to lack of sales data will be able to receive support more quickly.

Choi Wonyoung, Director of Small Business Policy, said, "We expect that by proactively identifying small business owners showing signs of crisis and providing customized support according to the type of management crisis, we can help stabilize their operations and support their recovery. In particular, in the first half of next year, we will review ways to pilot the use of private sector alternative evaluation models in the assessment of small business policy funds, and in the second half, we will actively utilize a specialized credit evaluation model for small businesses as soon as it is established."

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