Youth and Innovative SME Ideas Showcased at the National Assembly

Opening of the "2026 Local Innovation SME National Assembly Exhibition"

Held at the 2nd Lobby of the National Assembly Members' Office Building from July 19 to 21

Providing Opportunities for Product Promotion and Market Expansion

The "2026 Local Innovation SME National Assembly Exhibition," introducing outstanding products and creative ideas from local youth enterprises and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, opened on July 19 at the 2nd lobby of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building.

On the 20th, Shinseon Association President explained the products of youth companies to Members of Parliament Jongtae Jang, Beomgye Park, and Cheolmin Jang. Photo by Seunghyun Jeong

This exhibition is hosted and organized by the Korea Youth Entrepreneurs Association and Assemblyman Jang Jongtae. It is co-hosted by Assembly members Kwon Hyangyeop, Paek Jongmin, Park Beomgye, Ahn Taejun, Lee Geontae, Lee Eonju, Jang Cheolmin, Jeong Junho, and Jeong Jinwook. The event is supported by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

The exhibition aims to widely promote the innovative products of youth and small businesses growing in local regions to the public and policymakers, and to provide a foundation for expanding business networks and growth. Participating companies showcased their self-developed products and technologies onsite, expanding their points of contact with consumers and relevant institutions.

In particular, by holding the event at the National Assembly, the exhibition highlights the ideas and product competitiveness of youth enterprises, while also exploring ways to support their growth through policy support and expansion of distribution channels and markets.

Park Beomgye, Member of the National Assembly, who attended the opening ceremony, encouraged the participating entrepreneurs, saying, “I hope that the products created through the fresh ideas of local youth companies will become more widely known, bringing valuable change to local communities and industry.”

Paek Jongmin, Member of the National Assembly, who initiated the exhibition, added, “The creative challenges of young entrepreneurs inject new energy into the local economy and drive the future of Korean industry. Institutional and policy support must continue so that youth businesses with excellent ideas and technologies can grow into bigger markets.”

Member of the National Assembly Kim Jongmin browsing products of local youth enterprises. Photo by Seunghyun Jeong

Jang Jongtae, Member of the National Assembly and host of the event, addressed the young entrepreneurs, stating, “The courage and determination of young people who are not afraid of failure and blaze new trails are the driving force for Korea’s future. I will continue to work towards creating an environment where young people can realize their ideas as businesses and achieve stable growth.”

He further noted, “I expect this exhibition to be more than a showcase of products and technologies by youth enterprises – I hope it will be a starting point for practical collaboration and new business opportunities.”

Shin Seon, Chairman of the Korea Youth Entrepreneurs Association, remarked, “I hope the challenges faced by youth businesses will become a new driving force for Korea’s future. I support the efforts of young entrepreneurs across the country who are forging new possibilities.”

The organizers plan to provide additional support so that the outstanding youth and local companies identified through this exhibition can achieve real business expansion and sales results, rather than simply one-off promotions.

The follow-up plans include competitiveness assessments of participating companies and products, preparation of export materials, participation in local trade fairs and pop-up stores, consultations with buyers, and negotiations for entry into distribution channels. Vietnam and Malaysia are being considered as pilot markets, and there are plans to support domestic and overseas market entry by collaborating with youth and community business networks and related organizations nationwide.

The association expects that this event will serve as an opportunity to highlight the innovative capabilities of youth enterprises to both the National Assembly and the public, and to expand practical cooperation among policy organizations, distributors, and private companies.

The "2026 Local Innovation SME National Assembly Exhibition" will continue until July 21 at the 2nd lobby of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.