The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Minister Oh Young-joo, hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of SMEs and Startups) announced the '2025 SME and Venture Company Export Support Plan' at the 6th Export Strategy Meeting on the 18th.
Exporting SMEs are contributing to our economy by generating high performance in sales and employment compared to all SMEs, but the globalization response tasks surrounding SMEs are gradually increasing, such as the deepening protectionism of major exporting countries and the acceleration of digital transformation.
Accordingly, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced the 'SME and Venture Globalization Support Measures' in May of last year and is improving the SME export support policy in line with the changing external environment. And this time, it analyzed recent domestic and foreign variables such as the high exchange rate, Trump's second-term tariff measures, and the '24 SME export status, etc., and prepared the '2025 SME and Venture Export Support Plan' to supplement and strengthen the 'SME and Venture Globalization Support Measures' prepared last year.
The main contents of the measures are as follows.
◆ Establish and operate a system to support rapid response to export issues such as tariff measures of the Trump 2nd administration.
▲ We will establish ‘Problem Reporting Centers’ in 15 export support centers nationwide, simplify policy fund evaluation procedures, and increase the export voucher logistics cost support limit when necessary.
The complaint center will support damage reporting and consultation, and will provide expedited support by simplifying the policy fund evaluation process for small and medium-sized enterprises pursuing export diversification to alleviate export damage due to U.S. tariff measures. In addition, in preparation for small and medium-sized enterprises facing a management crisis, we plan to additionally review measures such as emergency management stabilization fund support and increasing the export voucher logistics cost support limit (KRW 30 million → KRW 40 million).
▲ In order to respond to the reorganization of the global supply chain, we will initially supply 60 billion won in policy funds to overseas corporations and promote the establishment of an ‘integrated support base for overseas expansion’ in Silicon Valley.
In order to ensure stable local settlement and operation of domestic SME overseas corporations, we will announce the overseas corporation policy fund operation plan in March. We will provide pilot support to overseas corporations in some countries, including the United States, where the Global Business Center (GBC) and Korea Startup Center (KSC) are located. In addition, we will significantly expand guarantees for companies advancing overseas ('24. 100 → '25. 30 billion won).
In addition, we plan to build a pilot 'Overseas Expansion Integrated Support Center' in Silicon Valley that integrates the functions of the Global Business Center (GBC), Korea Startup Center (KSC), and Korea Venture Investment Overseas Office (KVIC) to provide comprehensive support from initial entry space to management services, including legal and other management support, startup incubation, and local investment attraction support.
▲ We will select approximately 50 items that will have a significant impact on exports from small and medium-sized enterprises and implement special management.
We plan to select about 50 items of exports by small and medium-sized enterprises that are likely to be affected by future tariff measures by the U.S. and provide special management such as information analysis and provision, and consulting support for diversifying export countries.
▲ Provides rapid information on changes in country policies, such as export regulations.
We proactively discover and provide changing policy information, such as the U.S. regulatory policy toward China, and work with law firms to produce separate guides on overseas regulatory and policy changes that are difficult for small and medium-sized businesses to understand.
◆ Establish a solid export structure for small and medium-sized enterprises that will not be shaken by any changes in the external environment.
▲ This year, we will foster 1,000 promising start-up companies with exports of less than $1 million into companies with exports of $1 million.
In order to achieve the goal of “nurturing 3,000 small and medium-sized export companies with export sales of over $1 million by 2027” announced in last year’s export measures, we plan to establish and operate programs such as close expert consulting and mentoring from senior export companies for 1,000 promising start-up companies with export sales of less than $1 million by 2025. In addition, we will expand programs to support innovative domestic companies with high export growth potential and strong small and medium-sized businesses to become export companies.
▲ We will fully support tech service exports, including the establishment of a ‘Tech Service Exclusive Export Voucher’ worth 14 billion won.
The expansion of the product-centered SME export support system that has been promoted so far will be fully implemented starting this year. The tech service-specific export voucher newly established this year will support tech service-specific areas that were not supported by the existing export voucher, such as overseas cloud usage costs, and is scheduled to be announced in March of this year. In addition, the 'K-Innovation Envoy' consisting of innovative companies in the tech service field will also be dispatched overseas.
▲ In order to accelerate cosmetics exports even in the second Trump term, a new 'K-Beauty Loan' of 20 billion won will be established to support cosmetics production, and an international K-Beauty Expo will also be held.
In order for K-beauty, which achieved the highest export performance ever last year, to continue to secure its global premium status, the government will establish (announce) a new 'K-beauty loan' in March to support production funds for small and medium-sized enterprises. In addition, by hosting an international K-beauty expo with major overseas cosmetics distributors from France, Germany, and Japan as buyers, the status of K-beauty will be raised, while full-scale support will be given to diversifying export destinations.
▲ We will select three new Korean Wave items for small and medium-sized enterprises and introduce specialized programs.
We plan to select ‘clothing and personal accessories’, ‘fashion accessories (jewelry, etc.)’, and ‘stationery and toys’ as the three major new Korean Wave items, which have a high proportion of exports from small and medium-sized enterprises and high growth potential based on the Korean Wave, and operate new, specialized programs such as support for entry into local global distribution networks.
▲ A new project to support globalization for emerging markets is also being introduced.
Considering the changing economic policies of each country and the export environment of each product, we plan to set strategic products for the four regions of ASEAN, the Middle East, India, and Central and South America and operate a new customized support program, including buyer consultations and local investment attraction for exporting the corresponding products.
◆ We will further develop the existing network and cooperation base, such as the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Venture Business Globalization One Team Council.
▲ In order to strengthen the cooperation base of the ‘SME and Venture Business Support Council’ established in 25 regional overseas missions in 17 countries, a direct support program for overseas missions will be newly established.
Since the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed a business agreement in April last year and established the ‘SME and Venture Business Support Council’ in 25 diplomatic missions, it has shown operational results of 64 meetings presided over by the heads of diplomatic missions, 631 cases of resolving corporate difficulties through support from institutions participating in the council, and 515 cases of providing information to the host country. This year, a program will be newly established (business forums by diplomatic mission, etc.) to directly support local settlement by providing information, finding cooperation opportunities, and resolving difficulties for companies advancing into local markets, thereby further strengthening the cooperative foundation.
▲ A new ‘Global Navigator’ will also be established to systematically provide overseas information discovered by the One Team Consultation Body.
Minister Oh Young-joo said, “This measure focuses on quickly responding to pending export issues for SMEs, such as the high exchange rate and a second Trump term, and establishing a solid SME export structure that will not be shaken by future changes in the external environment.” He added, “If the U.S. implements tariff measures, all of our exporting SMEs will inevitably be affected, so we will operate a nationwide grievance reporting center where SMEs experiencing difficulties can immediately seek consultation when needed, and we will quickly alleviate the difficulties of SMEs by providing emergency management stabilization funds and support for diversifying export countries.
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