South Korean small businesses increase exports by 56 percent

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups helped 92 small businesses in South Korea increase their export volume by 56.3 percent between January and September.

The ministry launched a global growth initiative this year to help small businesses with high export potential in the consumer goods sector. The program provides training on export capabilities, up to 100 million won for product development, and participation in overseas trade fairs.

The initiative expanded the number of export destinations from 44 countries to 75 countries. While previous exports focused on East Asia, the United States, and China, the ministry successfully diversified markets into 31 new countries including Russia, Eastern Europe, and Africa. Six companies that had no export records last year achieved their first exports through this program. Specific participants like Samon and Dermis received awards for their growth.

Samon produced health snacks from red ginseng byproducts to achieve its first export of 11,000 dollars. Dermis developed cosmetics using salmon ingredients and grew its exports from 38,000 dollars in 2024 to 270,000 dollars in 2026.