Korea Food Industry Association to launch support center for SMEs

Park Jin-sun, Chairperson of the Korea Food Industry Association, marked her first anniversary in office by announcing new initiatives to support small and medium-sized food enterprises. A key highlight is the launch of the Food Enterprise Support Center, which is scheduled to begin operations in October, with online services starting on October 19. The center will provide professional consulting in six areas: food safety, manufacturing and technical innovation, support program utilization, general management (legal, tax, and labor), exports, and ESG management.

Addressing industry challenges, Park noted that recent food price increases are driven by more than just raw material costs, citing rising labor, facility investment, and R&D expenses. She emphasized the need to view the food industry as a manufacturing sector requiring significant technological investment. Additionally, Park addressed concerns regarding collusion regulations, stating that while sanctions are necessary, the scope of what constitutes collusion needs adjustment to avoid unintended industry impacts. The association also plans to focus on leveraging the global popularity of ‘K-food’ to enhance the sustainable competitiveness of the domestic food industry.