Korea Senior Human Resources Development Institute, Small Enterprise and Market Service sign MOU

'Small Business Policy Finance Safety Companion' program to expand nationwide, supporting policy fund applications and illegal activity prevention

Kim Su-young (right), president of the Korea Senior Human Resources Development Institute, and Ahn Tae-yeon, chairman of the Small Enterprise and Market Service, pose after signing an MOU to expand the Small Business Policy Finance Safety Companion program nationwide at the agency's conference room in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, on Wednesday. [Korea Senior Human Resources Development Institute]
Kim Su-young (right), president of the Korea Senior Human Resources Development Institute, and Ahn Tae-yeon, chairman of the Small Enterprise and Market Service, pose after signing an MOU to expand the Small Business Policy Finance Safety Companion program nationwide at the agency's conference room in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, on Wednesday. [Korea Senior Human Resources Development Institute]

The Korea Senior Human Resources Development Institute signed an MOU Wednesday with the Small Enterprise and Market Service at the agency's conference room in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, to expand the Small Business Policy Finance Safety Companion program nationwide.

The agreement aims to scale up the senior employment initiative across the country to revitalize neighborhood commercial districts and protect small business owners.

Operated as a senior skills utilization project, the program trains retired financial sector workers as Small Business Policy Finance Safety Companions. They visit financially vulnerable small businesses to provide policy fund consultations, assist with online applications, and monitor and report illegal or improper conduct related to policy financing.

Under the MOU, the two organizations agreed to cooperate on mutual support for operating the Small Business Policy Finance Safety Companion program, job training and promotional support for policy fund application assistance and illegal activity reporting, and identifying new senior-appropriate roles for retired financial sector workers.

Meanwhile, the Small Business Policy Finance Safety Companion program was selected in September as a new senior-appropriate job category for 2026, earning recognition for extending the traditional scope of senior employment into financial harm prevention for small businesses and developing new roles that draw on seniors' financial expertise.

"We will continue to identify and expand new senior-appropriate job initiatives linked to small business support and local commercial district revitalization, so that senior employment can grow in a direction that solves problems in the public sphere and provides practical help to small business owners across the country," said Korea Senior Human Resources Development Institute President Kim Su-young.


thlee@heraldcorp.com