GESPA's Corporate Ombudsman Achieves Major Results: 136 Cases Identified, 393 Consulting Sessions Conducted

The Gyeonggi-do Economic Science Promotion Agency announced on August 6 that, during the first half of this year, it visited 123 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the province through its Corporate Ombudsman program, identified 136 cases of corporate difficulties, and conducted a total of 393 on-site consultations and customized consulting sessions.

The Corporate Ombudsman is a hands-on support initiative designed to directly address and resolve regulatory and operational challenges that companies encounter in the field. Field experts visit companies to diagnose the root causes of their challenges and propose tailored solutions. In addition to basic consultation, the program suggests improvement measures that can be immediately applied on-site and links these with follow-up support.

Additionally, the agency held four regional meetings in conjunction with policy briefing sessions, expanding its reach to companies by operating consultation booths in five regions—Anyang, Goyang, Guri, Bucheon, and Uijeongbu—while providing the “Gyeonggi Startup Innovation Space On-site Consulting Service.”

The Gyeonggi Provincial Research Institute of Economy and Science is conducting on-site consulting for corporate difficulties. Provided by the Gyeonggi Provincial Research Institute of Economy and Science

This on-site support led to tangible results for businesses. For example, an eco-friendly chemical materials startup in Suwon, despite its advanced technology, struggled with funding due to limited experience with support programs. After receiving guidance and strategic consulting from the Corporate Ombudsman, the company was selected for a total of KRW 500 million in government support projects, including the Startup Growth Technology Development Project and Didimdol.

Looking ahead to the second half of the year, the agency plans to expand its on-site consultation services and further increase engagement with companies. Companies can request consultations and manage the entire process—including applications, expert matching, and follow-up status—through the integrated “Enterprise SOS” platform.

The agency also intends to continuously expand the scope of on-site consultations and regional meetings, thereby strengthening a field-oriented support system so that companies can receive assistance more easily and quickly.

Kim Hyungon, President of the agency, stated, "The answers to companies' difficulties are not on a desk but in the field," and added, "We will continue to visit any site where companies are located, listen to their concerns, and strengthen our field-oriented support to achieve outcomes that businesses can truly feel."

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