Company
SME representative body that surveyed 1,000 companies on business conditions and 2026 management plans.
About 675,000 Korean SMEs led by executives aged 60 or older have no successor, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups estimates. Tax relief mostly covers handovers to children, so inside buyers must fund stakes worth tens of billions of won largely alone.
Reality
Lee So-young's nomination begins the work of putting a confirmed minister back over Korea's SME and startups brief, whose venture-capital and overseas-expansion tasks have so far been stated without a number attached.
Reality
The Korea Federation of SMEs wants subcontracting and mutual cooperation invoices settled in 30 days instead of 60, a right for small business cooperatives to demand negotiations, and a fair dealing law covering online platforms.
Reality
A Korea Federation of SMEs survey of 1,250 sellers puts platform costs at 21.7% of monthly sales. Delivery apps take 26.2%, up 5.2 points in a year on a measure that counts advertising alongside commission.
Reality
Filings are on pace to pass last year's record, and the delinquency data says the damage sits in small firms funded by regional banks, not in the listed universe investors watch.
Reality