Park to help small businesses

Kim Yong-jun, right, chairman of President-elect Park Geun-hye’s transition team, awards a certificate of appointment to Ihn Yohan (John Linton), vice-chairman of the committee for national unity, at the team’s office in the Korea Banking Institute building in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye

President-elect Park Geun-hye’s transition team will embark on receiving policy briefings from government agencies on Jan. 11, starting with the Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA), the team’s spokesman Yoon Chang-jung said, Tuesday.

“Park will receive a report from the SMBA alongside the defense ministry,” said Yoon Chang-jung at a press briefing.

Emerging from a meeting at the team’s office in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, Yoon said, “The team deeply considered Park’s philosophy and goals toward state affairs when setting the work report schedule.”

“Such a decision reflects Park’s emphasis on “economic growth” and “stabilizing the nation,” Yoon said.

Analysts say the decision also shows Park’s intention to differentiate her government from that of President Lee Myung-bak that has been described as too cozy with big business.

While presiding over the first transition team meeting, Park was quoted as saying, “Activating smaller companies is a very important task. We need to deal with matters that are directly connected to people’s livelihood.”

After being elected president, she visited the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business first and then visited the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI).

“If you look at her visit sequences, you will know her true intentions,” Park Sun-kyoo, spokesman for the President-elect, said.

“While chaebol has been growing, many people made sacrifices and there were a lot of government support. So, chaebol should not pursue only their own profit, but pursue a win-win approach with the whole community,” Park said.

The daughter of late President Park Chung-hee urged that big companies should not invade areas where mom and pop stores do business.

Following such moves, advance arrangements regarding Park’s pledges about democratization of the economy and supporting smaller enterprises are expected to speed up.

She has promised to improve fair-trade laws and expand budget allocated to support small- and medium-sized businesses.