Interior ministry designates 33 village enterprises as new committee meets

South Korea's interior ministry said Monday it designated 33 village enterprises for the second half of 2026 and launched the first meeting of a statutory committee created to oversee the sector, as a new law governing village enterprises took effect in August.

The Central Village Enterprise Promotion and Support Committee, which met Oct. 30 at the government complex in Sejong, reviews the basic direction of village enterprise policy, drafts basic plans and approves designations, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said in a press release. It has 16 members drawn from the government, private experts and people working at village enterprises on the ground. Chang Jong-ik, a professor at Hanshin University known for his work in the social and solidarity economy, was appointed as its first chair.

Village enterprises are businesses in which local residents use local resources to generate income and jobs and to address regional problems, according to the ministry.

Of the 33 enterprises designated for the second half, 20 were newly selected, nine were redesignated and four were classed as advanced-stage enterprises. Support funding is 50 million won ($37,392) for new entrants, 30 million won ($22,435) for redesignated enterprises and 20 million won ($14,957) for advanced-stage ones. The ministry also said it plans to introduce a so-called star village enterprise program to develop strong performers, including advanced-stage enterprises, into leading regional models.

At the same meeting the committee reviewed a draft of the first five-year basic plan for promoting and supporting village enterprises, which would apply from 2027 through 2031. The plan sets out the vision of village enterprises as a center of regional problem-solving and regional innovation, and outlines three strategies: strengthening the policy support system, providing tailored support at each growth stage and building capacity to solve regional problems. Committee members discussed securing professional staff, expanding sales channels, tailoring support to regional characteristics and encouraging participation by young people.

"Today's meeting is very meaningful in that it is the first central committee launched after the enactment and enforcement of the Village Enterprise Act," said Hwang Soon-jo, director-general of the ministry's social and solidarity economy bureau. "We will listen attentively to the views of people in the field and experts and faithfully reflect them in policy so that village enterprises can establish themselves as leaders in revitalizing regional economies and restoring communities."