Ministry of SMEs and Startups pledges stronger support for small-business cooperatives

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said it will continue to strengthen policy support for small-business cooperatives.

Second Vice Minister Lee Byung-kwon visited DODI, the Korea Ceramic Design Cooperative, in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday to hear firsthand from members about ways to invigorate small-business cooperatives.

Founded in 2020, the Korea Ceramic Design Cooperative has moved away from traditional hand-crafted production methods by introducing shared modern manufacturing equipment to boost productivity. It has also developed a joint brand, DODI, as part of broader efforts to strengthen competitiveness through collaboration and overcome the limitations facing individual small-business owners.

Lee toured the shared workspace and observed the ceramic manufacturing process using communal equipment, including a kiln and a vacuum clay mixer. He also heard from members about their experiences with joint production, shared brand development and marketing, and exchanged views on areas where the cooperative support system could be improved and on future growth strategies.

Small-business cooperatives are drawing attention as a growth model for small businesses, as they allow individual operators to tackle challenges that are difficult to address alone — such as cutting costs through shared equipment, opening new sales channels and pursuing digital transformation.

The ministry said it will continue to identify operational difficulties facing cooperatives based on field feedback, push for system improvements and work to build a collaboration-driven growth ecosystem.

"Small-business cooperatives are not just organizations — they are mutual-growth bodies where small-business owners come together to build competitiveness," Lee said. "We will continue to provide sustained policy support so that small-business cooperatives can thrive, actively backing efforts in areas that are difficult for individual operators to pursue alone, such as new product development, joint production and joint sales."