[Edaily Reporter Kim Se-yeon] The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) organized an event for companies participating in the “Leap Program” to share know-how and propose ways to improve their businesses.

KOSME announced on the 12th that it held a “Networking Day” for the second cohort of the Leap Program at the KOSME Gangwon Training Center in Taebaek, Gangwon Province, from the 11th to the 12th.
KOSME provides three years of support—including expert guidance, commercialization funding, networking, and policy linkage—to promising mid-sized companies with at least seven years of business experience selected for the Leap Program. The program was first introduced last year to promote growth into mid-sized enterprises, and a total of 100 new companies were selected for the second cohort this year.
KOSME listened to the common challenges companies face when entering new businesses and during their growth process. Based on this, the agency aims to enhance business operations and strengthen the foundation for collaboration and synergy among participating companies. Approximately 80 people attended the event, including representatives and executives from the new second-cohort companies, Kwon Soon-jae, Director of Regional Enterprise Policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Ban Jeong-sik, Director of Regional Innovation at KOSME, and officials from relevant ministries and affiliated organizations.
On the first day, the program included: △ an explanation of the 2026 Leap Program operational plan; △ a session to gather corporate feedback for program enhancement; △ a sharing of best practices by first-batch companies (presented by Kim Sang-baek, CEO of Inscape); △ a special lecture by a successful entrepreneur (Yoon Dong-han, Chairman of #Kolmar Korea); and △ a leadership seminar (led by Professor Jeong Dong-il of Yonsei University).
On the second day, participants reflected on the meaning of growth and leap forward while trekking to the source of the Han River (Geomryongso), the starting point of the Korean Peninsula’s history.
In addition, the Korea SME & Startup Agency (KOSME) plans to continue operating exchange programs—such as policy-linked consultations and regional councils for participating companies—to strengthen support for firms in the Leap Program.
Ban Jeong-sik, Director of Regional Innovation at KOSME, stated, “This Networking Day serves as a starting point where new participating companies from the second cohort gather to share their growth visions and directly incorporate on-the-ground feedback into policy.” He added, “Based on the companies’ opinions, we will enhance the Leap Program’s support system and actively assist participating companies so they can grow into mid-sized enterprises that represent their regions.”