The Economic, Social and Labor Council (Chairperson Kim Ji-hyung) launched its third Small Business Owners Committee on August 10 and held its first meeting. The new committee will operate for one year with two core agenda items: strengthening the social safety net insurance system for small business owners and expanding support for childbirth and welfare.
 [코리안투데이] 보도자료 경사노위 3기 소상공인위원회 발족 © 장형임 기자 |
The Economic, Social and Labor Council (Chairperson Kim Ji-hyung, hereinafter ESLC) launched its third Small Business Owners Committee and convened its first plenary session at 3 p.m. on August 10 in the large conference room on the 7th floor of the ESLC.
The Small Business Owners Committee is a sector-based committee in which small business-related organizations take part directly to discuss pending issues and propose policies. Under the Economic, Social and Labor Council Act, sector-based committees are bodies established under the steering committee, tasked with identifying the grievances and agendas of various social groups, such as young people, women, non-regular workers and small business owners, and bringing those items before the main council. In effect, they serve as a channel that connects the voices of diverse groups to policy, reaching beyond issues of labor and employment.
Lee Wang-jae, standing vice-chairman of the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise, chaired the preparatory work for the third committee. Among small business organizations, the Korea Federation of Traditional Markets, the Korea Foodservice Industry Association, the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Merchants and the Self-Employed, the Korea Supermarket Cooperative Federation, the National Federation of Urban Small Manufacturers, the National Franchisee Association, and the Korea Federation of Small Enterprises and Small Business took part. From nationwide employer groups, the Korea Enterprises Federation and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry joined as members, bringing the total to 10.
 [코리안투데이] 보도자료 경사노위 3기 소상공인위원회 발족 © 장형임 기자 |
The committee will center its discussions in particular on two agenda items: ‘strengthening the social safety net insurance system for small business owners’ and ‘expanding childbirth and welfare support for small business owners.’ Its term runs for one year, from the launch date of August 10, 2026, to August 9, 2027.
 [코리안투데이] 보도자료 경사노위 3기 소상공인위원회 발족 © 장형임 기자 |
At the first meeting, which continued until 4:40 p.m. that day, participants shared the committee’s composition and direction and discussed operating rules and detailed plans going forward. The members agreed that policy for small business owners should not stop at management support or temporary crisis response, but should fully reflect the practical difficulties and characteristics of small business owners across the social safety net and welfare systems as a whole, including employment insurance, industrial accidents, illness and preparation for old age. They also resolved to propose policies based on the diverse views from the field and, where necessary, to consult with relevant ministries and agencies to improve the reflection of discussion outcomes in policy and their feasibility.
This discussion is tied to an awareness that many self-employed people face structural vulnerability, in which business closure, illness, childbirth and caregiving translate directly into a livelihood crisis. Whether the committee’s deliberations will lead to a genuine safety net for small business owners, who bear the shocks of economic fluctuations and social risks first and longest yet have stood outside institutional protection, is the key question.
 [코리안투데이] 보도자료 경사노위 3기 소상공인위원회 발족 © 장형임 기자 |
ESLC Chairperson Kim Ji-hyung stated, ‘Small business owners are an important group and a mainstay that breathes vitality into our economy and local communities, but in some respects the institutional foundation to cope with economic fluctuations or social risks still remains insufficient,’ adding, ‘I hope the third Small Business Owners Committee will become a forum for developing effective policy alternatives that can strengthen the social safety net and close the blind spots in the welfare system, drawing on the members’ experience and the voices from the field.’
Preparatory Chairman Lee Wang-jae said, ‘For small business owners to sustain their livelihoods stably, they urgently need not only management support but also a social protection system that can respond to various risks,’ adding, ‘We will do our best to develop practical policy measures that can be felt in the field.’
지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청 코리안투데이 지부장 신청 코리안투데이 인천강화
THE KOREAN TODAY × WIA CODE
이 기사의 WIA Code
WIA Code 스캐너로 비추면 인터넷 없이 발행 사실과 위·변조 여부를 확인할 수 있습니다.
휴대폰 기본 카메라로 찍으면 스캐너 안내 페이지가 열립니다 — 기사 바로 열기
움직이는 코드(스트림) 한 장에 기사 전문(사진 포함)이 담겨 있습니다 — WIA Code 스캐너로 약 74초 비추면 폰에 저장되어 인터넷 없이도 읽을 수 있습니다. Stream.mp4 도 여기서 받습니다.
WIA Code · 코리안투데이
Leave a Reply