JEJU — Kim Ki-mun, who has led the Korea Federation of SMEs for 16 years, named managerial ability and the capacity to unite members as the most important qualities for his successor. The next chairman, he said, must be able to push actively for better policies for small and midsize enterprises while bringing together business owners across different industries and regions. Asked whether he might run for the post again, Kim ruled it out, saying he would "not come back to work there."
Speaking at a press briefing at Lotte Hotel Jeju on the 22nd, Kim said of the qualities his successor would need: "Someone who can do the job well should be chosen." He added, "You can judge by management ability — whether the person is self-made, how much they have exported." Character matters as well, he said: "What will count is whether the person can lead the organization while working in harmony with many different people."
Kim also stressed that the chairmanship of the federation carries more responsibility than authority. "People may be under the illusion that it is a cushy post, but it is absolutely not," he said. "It is a non-salaried position, and apart from personnel decisions, the chairman does not have much authority." He added: "Even now I start the day at 6 a.m. on the phone with executives. I hope the next chairman is someone who can work that hard for small businesses."
Among his achievements over the past 16 years, Kim cited institutional changes including reform of subcontract pricing, revisions to the tax code governing business succession, and the exemption of cooperative joint projects from antitrust rules on collusion. "We have improved, one by one, the policy and regulatory problems that small businesses had long been unable to resolve," he said. "New challenges will keep emerging, so it is important to keep resolving them."
He was unequivocal about not seeking the post again after stepping down. "I told the staff that I might drop by the federation for a visit, but I will not come back to work there," he said. "The honest reason is that it was simply too hard."
Kim also emphasized the need for small manufacturers to adopt physical artificial intelligence to strengthen their competitiveness. "Small businesses need to build the capacity to operate 24 hours a day by using physical AI," he said. "Next year we plan to work with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups to standardize industry-specific data for AI use, centered on about 10 cooperatives."
Kim is the longest-serving head among the current leaders of South Korea's five major business organizations. First elected chairman of the federation in 2007, he won a second term in 2011 and served for eight years. After a four-year gap, he returned to the post in 2019 and was reelected in 2023, leading the federation for a total of 16 years across four terms. Son Kyung-shik, chairman of the Korea Enterprises Federation, has the second-longest tenure, holding his post for about eight years and seven months since 2018.