Lee So

Lee So-young, nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups, said on the 31st, "If appointed as Minister, we will ease unreasonable regulations beyond supporting small and medium-sized venture companies and with the mindset of Minister of Regulatory Reform. We will not let anything like 'Tada' happen again in Korea." Candidate Lee met with reporters on his way to the Small and Medium Business Information Promotion Agency in Yeouido, Seoul, and said, "I will pour out my capabilities and drive in reflecting on our regulatory method itself."

In the past, "Tada" operated by lending 11-15-seater vans and drivers together with a smartphone app, but due to opposition from the taxi industry, an amendment to the Passenger Transport Business Act, known as the "Tada Ban Act," passed the National Assembly in 2020 and had to stop the service in this way.

"No matter how much mentoring and support the government provides to entrepreneurs, if they are blocked by regulation, the entrepreneur's idea will inevitably be lost," candidate Lee said. "I think our tight and multi-layered regulatory method is the biggest obstacle in the area of innovation in creating new services and products."

In response to concerns over professionalism in small and medium-sized businesses, candidate Lee said, "I am proud that I have faithfully carried out legislative activities on the affairs under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups in more than six years of legislative activities," adding, "While serving as the secretary of the Budget and Accounts Committee, he has drawn a significant increase by dealing with various budgets such as the recovery of small business management, boosting consumption in alley commercial districts, and converting artificial intelligence (AX) for small and medium-sized businesses."

Regarding the small and medium-sized enterprises sector, he said, "The boom has recently been experiencing for the first time in history, especially among large export companies, but the warmth of the bright boom should spread to small SMEs," adding, "We will check the current situation and come up with policy solutions." Regarding the field of small business owners, he said, "I also lived alone with my mother as a child and made a living by waiting for customers and taking delivery orders every day in a small restaurant run by her," adding, "I will think about whether I can alleviate such hardships of small business owners in difficult situations."

Regarding concurrently serving as a minister and a member of the National Assembly, he said, "I will faithfully make efforts to do both so as not to lose touch with the region while serving as a minister." In addition, candidate Lee said, "We plan to visit small business owners and venture start-up-related organizations this week," adding, "I think we will be able to implement policies that help small and medium-sized venture companies and small business owners based on our expertise and experience in legislation and budget."