South Korea’s small-business, venture and technology-driven SME groups welcomed lawmaker Lee So-young’s nomination as Minister of SMEs and Startups, citing her work on the National Assembly’s Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee and the startup study group Unicorn Farm. The Korea Federation of SMEs said her expertise could help address AI and digital transformation, overseas expansion, the widening growth gap between companies, carbon neutrality and the energy transition. Venture groups identified global competitiveness, regulatory reform, stronger private-capital inflows and revived initial public offering and mergers-and-acquisitions markets as priorities, while citing government goals of making Korea one of the world’s four leading venture powers and reaching 40 trillion won in annual venture investment. Innobiz called for restoration of the growth ladder from startups to mid-sized companies, stronger research and development support, full-cycle financing and better AI and data infrastructure for traditional manufacturers. Small-business groups also urged policy continuity after an approximately two-month ministerial vacancy and practical measures addressing weak domestic demand, high prices, interest rates and rising labor and operating costs. The Korea Women Entrepreneurs Association highlighted Lee’s climate and energy expertise and her position as a female politician born in 1985.