Three-night, four-day event held in Jeju draws more than 400 SME leaders

Forum themed 'With SMEs, toward becoming one of the world's top three AI nations'

Policy forum on physical AI era explores tailored support measures

Participants pose for a group photo at the opening ceremony of the 2026 SME Leaders Forum held at Lotte Hotel Jeju on Tuesday. [Korea Federation of SMEs]
Participants pose for a group photo at the opening ceremony of the 2026 SME Leaders Forum held at Lotte Hotel Jeju on Tuesday. [Korea Federation of SMEs]

The Korea Federation of SMEs said Friday it had successfully concluded the 2026 SME Leaders Forum, a three-night, four-day event held in Jeju.

The SME Leaders Forum is the largest annual gathering in the small and medium-sized enterprise sector. This year's edition drew more than 400 SME leaders from across regions and industries.

The forum ran under the theme "With SMEs, toward becoming one of the world's top three AI nations," providing a platform to explore directions for SME innovation and discuss new growth strategies amid sweeping changes in the industrial landscape driven by the spread of AI technology.

The event opened with video congratulatory remarks from National Assembly Speaker Jo Jeong-sik and Prime Minister Han Seong-sook, followed by a series of lectures from experts across diverse fields.

Speakers included novelist Kim Hong-shin, Park Yong-woo, director of the obesity clinic at Gangbuk Samsung Hospital, North Chungcheong Province Governor Shin Yong-han, docent Jeong Woo-cheol, Father Hwang Chang-yeon, Lee Jin-woo, deputy chief of SamproTV, physiognomist Park Seong-jun, and Kim Hyeong-tae, chief executive of TBWA Korea. They delivered lectures spanning management, health and the humanities.

A particular highlight was a policy forum titled "SME Innovation in the Physical AI Era," held during the event, which focused on support policies to help small and medium-sized enterprises keep pace with advances in AI technology.

The forum brought together experts from the public, private and academic sectors, including Park Young-sun, chair of the strategic economic advisory panel at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Cho Ju-hyun, president of the Korea Institute for Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups, and Kim Jun-ha, dean of the AI Policy and Strategy Graduate School at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology. Participants discussed phased support policies tailored to individual companies, recognizing that SMEs vary widely in their level of AI adoption and operating conditions.

The forum was significant for charting a course for SMEs to respond to the spread of AI technology across industries. It underscored the importance of customized support calibrated to each company's level of AI adoption, particularly given the difficulties smaller firms face in securing funding and skilled personnel compared with large corporations. The need for policy support to integrate AI technology into actual production sites and business operations is also growing.

The federation said the forum gave SME leaders an opportunity to share an understanding of the need for AI transformation and to consider how to navigate a rapidly changing business environment.

Korea Federation of SMEs Chairman Kim Ki-moon said the Leaders Forum, which launched in 2007, has established itself as a premier forum for the SME community. "I hope this forum gave small and medium-sized enterprises — those that understand the need for AI but are struggling with how to move forward — the time to prepare," he said.


boo@heraldcorp.com