Gangwon Province Governor Woo Sang-ho said Thursday he would help companies rooted in the province grow by identifying outstanding local products and providing intensive support for their distribution and market access.
Woo made the remarks at the 28th Gangwon SME Convention, held at Sky Convention in Chuncheon and organized by the Gangwon regional chapter of the Korea Federation of SMEs, with support from the Gangwon Regional Office of SMEs and Startups, among others. He added that the province would establish a global export center to expand the competitive arena for local businesses worldwide, and that he would walk the path of "making Gangwon special and its residents happy" together with the region's small-business community.
"Small and medium-sized enterprises account for 94.1 percent of all jobs in Gangwon, which means they have in effect driven the provincial economy," Woo said. He added that the province would attract advanced industries — including AI data centers — on the strength of Gangwon's clean energy resources, creating an opportunity for a "great economic transformation" and building an industrial ecosystem in which local small and medium-sized enterprises grow alongside it.
Among this year's citations for meritorious service to small and medium-sized enterprises, the presidential commendation went to Lee Ik-sang, chief executive of Dongseo Engineering Co., in recognition of his 42 years of dedication to the construction technology sector and his contributions to the industry's development through technological innovation and business growth.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor minister's commendation went to Kim Geum-ju, chief executive of Hongcheon Environmental Industry. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups minister's commendation went to Kim Hong-il of Irum Co., Park Yong-bok of Soonet, Lee Mi-ok of Keurin Industry Co., Cha Guk-yeol of Gyoseong Co., and Lee Byeong-gwon, vice president of UBPlus Co.
At the 28th Gangwon SME Support Award ceremony, nine institutions and individuals recognized for contributing to the growth and competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises received honors. The Gangwon Province governor's commendation went to the Gangwon Creative Economy Innovation Center, a foundation that has supported the growth of startups and small businesses in the province, and to the Chuncheon Bio Industry Promotion Institute, a foundation recognized for its contributions to nurturing biotech companies.
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