Small business federation launches first overseas push with Vietnam trade delegation

The Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise has begun in earnest to support small business owners' expansion into overseas markets, starting with Vietnam. The move marks the first follow-up project stemming from an MOU the federation signed with the Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul in July, translating that agreement into market development efforts on the ground. Some participating groups have already advanced to discussing technology cooperation and business proposals with local companies.

The federation said Friday it dispatched the "2026 Global Scale-Up Delegation for Small Business Owners" to Vietnam from Sept. 2-5. The trip represents the federation's official first project under its overseas expansion initiative.

The delegation held a series of meetings with the Vietnamese government, economic organizations and the local Korean business community to discuss ways for South Korean small business owners to enter the Vietnamese market. The trip put into action the "Korea-Vietnam Joint Small Business Support MOU," which the federation and the Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul signed July 10.

Under that agreement, the two organizations pledged to cooperate on overseas expansion and joint development for small business owners in both countries, along with digital transformation, AI transformation, cultivating next-generation small business leaders and expanding private-sector exchanges. They also planned to send a market development delegation to Vietnam in September as a follow-up step.

The delegation visited the 2026 Vietnam International Sourcing Expo, hosted by Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade, to observe local trade and sourcing trends. Song Chi-young, chairman of the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise, met with Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang to request administrative support for South Korean small business owners seeking to enter and establish themselves in the Vietnamese market. Both sides also discussed setting up a dedicated communication channel for future cooperation.

At KOTRA's Ho Chi Minh City trade office, the delegation received briefings on the local market environment, industry trends and case studies of South Korean companies' entry into Vietnam. With the Korean Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, the delegation discussed a cooperative framework for sharing local business information, expanding networks and supporting South Korean small business owners operating in Vietnam.

The delegation also held a cooperation meeting with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Both sides discussed ways to expand private economic exchanges between South Korean and Vietnamese companies and to identify cooperation models that could lead to actual business deals.

Some sectors moved into concrete business discussions. The Korea Drone Industry Association, a delegation participant, discussed technology cooperation on South Korean-made drone training equipment with Vietnam's Z113 company and proposed follow-up working-level talks. The Korea Employment Service Association also discussed potential future cooperation with local firm Best HR Solution.

"If the MOU signed in July was the first step in opening the door for South Korean small business owners to expand overseas, this Global Scale-Up Delegation is the first follow-up action that put that potential into practice on the ground," Song said. "We will build a model for overseas expansion that translates into tangible results — sales channels and technology cooperation — so that the products, technologies and services of small business owners can compete in the global market."