Operational aspects of support programmes for the digital transformation of exporting small and medium-sized enterprises in the Republic of Korea

Because international trade is essential for the Republic of Korea’s economic growth and development, the government actively promotes exports by large companies and especially by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Several programmes support participation by SMEs in cross-border e-commerce, which may have contributed to their rapidly rising exports through this channel. This report reviews selected programmes implemented by the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA). To maximize the programmes’ impact, KOSME and KOTRA apply a circular process of assigning the required budget, selecting the most promising SMEs, coordinating with private sector stakeholders, and evaluating results. This document reviews each of these aspects in detail for a selection of the programmes.