New Hanywon chief vows to build 'national team' marketing policy institution

Choi Won-young, former director of the small business policy bureau at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, took office Friday as the 14th president of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, known as Hanywon.

Hanywon said Choi held an inauguration ceremony at the agency's office in Seoul's Mokdong and began his duties in earnest.

Choi holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Seoul National University, a techno-management MBA from KAIST and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Colorado.

Choi spent about 28 years at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups beginning in 1998, working on support policies for small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners across areas including exports, finance and sales channels. Most recently, Choi served as director-general for global growth policy and director of the small business policy bureau.

In the inauguration address, Choi said he would transform Hanywon into an "irreplaceable national team marketing policy institution."

To that end, Choi outlined four strategic directions: redefining the agency's identity around its core functions, establishing a sustainable management framework, strengthening its policy role through changes to its marketing functions, and building an organization that performs well and is a good place to work.

Choi said the agency would identify small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners with strong products who struggle to secure sales channels, and connect them to actual sales through tailored support. Choi also plans to expand marketing support based on each company's growth stage and product characteristics, and to broaden the policy function of public procurement so it can serve as a growth platform for innovative companies such as startups and venture firms.

On organizational management, Choi said the agency would pursue stronger employee capabilities through professional education and work to establish a communication-centered workplace culture.

"Hanywon's sales-channel support brings companies to fruition at their final stage and helps them grow into going concerns — it is a lifeline for small businesses and small business owners who are desperate in the field," Choi said. "I will be a reliable partner who gets out into the field alongside our staff, breaking through the difficulties and bottlenecks that have held us back."

Hanywon is a sales-channel support agency for small and medium-sized enterprises established in 1995, carrying out marketing support for SMEs and sales-channel support for small business owners. Choi takes the helm as the government discusses a potential merger between the public home-shopping network and Hanywon. Redefining the agency's role is considered a key task, as the merger's outcome could bring significant changes to the organization's structure and business functions.