Pilot program begins Monday, masking personal phone numbers behind '050-' virtual numbers for employees at 12 regional offices and 80 local centers
The Small Enterprise and Market Service, known as SEMAS, launched a pilot virtual number service Monday to protect the personal information of field staff and provide small business owners and traditional market vendors with a safer, more convenient consultation experience.
The service works through a dedicated mobile application that automatically displays a virtual number beginning with "050-" in place of an employee's personal phone number during calls and text exchanges, preventing the exposure of private contact details.
Staff conducting field visits or business trips can use the virtual number instead of their personal number, shielding their private information during and after work hours — including evenings and holidays.
Small business owners and traditional market vendors can reach SEMAS staff for consultations and guidance through the virtual number without needing to store or manage employees' personal contact information separately.
The pilot will run for roughly five months through the end of December, after which SEMAS will review overall results, usage rates and user satisfaction before deciding whether to adopt the service permanently.
SEMAS President In Tae-yeon said creating a safe working environment for frontline staff is the foundation of stable policy support. "Making sure the employees who support small business owners on the front lines can focus on their work without worry is the starting point for reliable policy support," he said. "We will continue to expand efforts to protect our staff and improve convenience for small business owners, so that support is felt where it matters most — in the field."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
