Korea Federation of SMEs to hold chairman election Feb. 2, extends campaign period to 30 days

The Korea Federation of SMEs will hold its election for the 28th federation chairman on Feb. 2, 2027. The official campaign period will be extended from 20 to 30 days, and the election notice will be issued 50 days before the vote, up from 40 days.

The federation held its 14th regular board of directors meeting Wednesday at its headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, where it approved three agenda items: an amendment to its officer election regulations, a proposal to convene an extraordinary general meeting to elect 28th-term officers, and a plan to delegate election administration for the chairman's race to the National Election Commission.

Under the amended regulations, the official campaign period will increase by 10 days, from 20 to 30 days. The election notice will also be issued 50 days before the vote instead of the current 40 days.

The federation said it extended the campaign period and moved up the notice date to give members sufficient time to scrutinize candidates' policies and campaign pledges and to strengthen members' right to information. The decision also reflected a view that the previous 20-day period was relatively short compared with the 44-day campaign periods for the chairman elections of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation and the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives.

The extraordinary general meeting to elect the 28th-term chairman, vice chairmen and directors will be held on Feb. 2 next year. Previously, officers were elected at the regular general meeting held at the end of February. Going forward, the extraordinary meeting for officer elections and the regular meeting handling financial settlements and business plans will be held separately.

By moving the election date earlier, the president-elect will have roughly one month before taking office at the end of February to familiarize themselves with ongoing projects and the organization's operations. The change also creates time to define the roles of vice chairmen and prepare for the formation of the next executive team.

"The federation's work is so extensive that a proper handover and clear assignment of vice chairmen's roles are essential for the organization to run well," federation Chairman Kim Ki-moon said. "We improved the system for the benefit of those who run as candidates and for the federation itself."

The federation also decided to delegate administration of the 28th chairman election to the National Election Commission. The scope of the delegation includes candidate registration, management of voting and vote counting, and promotion of election rules. The NEC will also handle investigations and follow-up measures for campaign activities that violate laws, the federation's articles of association, or its officer election regulations.

Enforcement against early campaigning will be tightened. The federation's own election management committee plans to file direct complaints when violations are repeated, and will vote on whether to invalidate the candidate registration of anyone who accumulates three violations under the officer election regulations.

Once election administration is formally delegated to the NEC, any complaints filed with the federation's election management committee will be immediately referred to the NEC. The NEC may then take action under relevant laws, including referring cases for investigation, based on its findings.

Penalties will apply not only to those who offer money or other benefits but also to those who receive them or agree to accept such offers. Vote-buying, early campaigning, publishing false information, defaming candidates, conducting campaign activities in ways not specified in the regulations, and door-to-door visits by candidates will all be prohibited.