Lee Seunghun to Run for Chair of Democratic Party's National Small Business Committee... "Turn Voices from the Ground into Policy"

Outlines four areas of innovation, including organizational innovation and on-the-ground solidarity

Lee Seunghun, senior vice chair of the Democratic Party of Korea's National Small Business Committee, announced on October 15 at the National Assembly Communication Center that he would run for chair of the party's Small Business Committee. He pledged a sweeping overhaul of the National Small Business Committee, outlining plans to organize 100,000 small business owners as policy-focused party members, along with four major areas of innovation and 15 innovation initiatives.

At the press conference, Lee said, "I will lay the groundwork for the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration and the Democratic Party's victory in the general election by building a National Small Business Committee where small business owners put forward proposals, party members work together to develop them, and the committee takes responsibility for delivering policy results through to the end."

Lee Seung Hoon, a candidate for chair of the Democratic Party of Korea's National Small Business Committee, speaks at a press conference announcing his candidacy at the National Assembly's Communication Hall on the 15th.

Lee plans to establish an ongoing collaboration system with 13 Democratic Party lawmakers on the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee, as well as the Euljiro Committee, the party's Policy Committee, and the Institute for Democracy. Through consultations between the party and the government, he aims to ensure that the needs of small businesses are reflected in government policies and budgets.

He also outlined four major initiatives: organizational innovation; innovation in on-the-ground solidarity; innovation in party-member participation and policy; and innovation for an artificial intelligence (AI)- and digital-driven future. Through organizational innovation, he plans to build a policy network connecting all 17 provincial and metropolitan city party chapters and local party committees. He also plans to propose a "Small Business AI Management Innovation Project" that would use AI for commercial district analysis, marketing, and customer management.

Lee said, "The difficulties facing 8.11 million small business owners persist because of high prices, sluggish consumption, and rising loan interest, rent, and labor costs." He added, "The National Small Business Committee must become a policy implementation body that goes directly into communities across the country to hear from small business owners and turn their concerns into legislation, budget measures, and institutional improvements, rather than remaining an organization limited to National Assembly meetings and forums."

Lee previously served as secretary, vice chair, and policy chair of the Special Committee on Small Businesses; as the first-term National Small Business Committee's vice chair and spokesperson; and as its senior vice chair in the second term.

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