What Was Decided at the September 3 National Policy Coordination Meeting
On September 3, 2026, the 13th National Policy Coordination Meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister, finalized the Four Export Innovation Strategies for SMEs as a joint initiative across relevant ministries. The headline goal is $180 billion in SME exports by 2030 (approximately KRW 250 trillion).
The number is not the most important part of this announcement. What matters is the restructuring of the support system itself. Until now, export support has been a list of individual programs — export vouchers, overseas trade shows, trade missions. This strategy rebuilds the framework around four axes: companies, products, countries, and policy. This is not a change to one program announcement; it is a redesign of how export support will be structured for the next four to five years. Companies that understand the new structure now will have a visible advantage when next year's calls for applications open.
The backdrop is an environment in which tariff and trade risks have become a constant rather than a temporary variable. The government's response is a dual strategy: broadening the export base by identifying new exporters while intensively developing top-tier companies.
Axes 1 and 2 — 500 Promising Exporters and K-Brand Strategic Products
The first axis is companies. The government will select and intensively develop 500 promising export companies with high growth potential, while providing tailored support to 2,000 companies including young entrepreneurs and firms re-entering export markets. The 500-company track will likely target businesses that have already demonstrated a certain scale of export performance and growth trajectory, while the 2,000-company track appears designed as an entry path for first-time exporters and companies making a second attempt.
The second axis is products. The strategy identifies fashion, food, and beauty devices as candidates for designation and development as K-Brand strategic products. Consumer goods SMEs hoping to participate in this discussion should organize the following data in advance:
Industrial goods and materials-parts-equipment companies face a different situation. For these firms, a more realistic approach is connecting existing R&D and technology development support with export vouchers rather than pursuing product-centered support. The key is designing a path where performance data secured through R&D projects becomes supporting evidence for overseas demonstration and certification support programs.
Axes 3 and 4 — Emerging Markets and AI-Based Support Systems
The third axis is countries. Support for entering emerging markets will expand in connection with the outcomes of summit diplomacy. However, entry difficulty varies significantly by market, so three items require advance verification:
The fourth axis is policy. The government will introduce AI-based recommendations for buyers and support programs along with substantial simplification of application documents. The practical implication is that recommendation accuracy depends on how well a company has organized its own data. Firms whose HS codes, export records, and certification status are documented and registered in the system will receive more accurate matches. In addition, a standing grievance reporting center will operate to address rapid changes in the trade environment. When issues such as tariff impositions or customs delays arise, working through this center is often more effective than pursuing an individual response alone.
What the Overseas Expansion Act Means in Practice
Alongside this strategy, the government is pursuing enactment of the SME Overseas Expansion Promotion Act. The legal basis for export and overseas expansion support has been scattered across multiple statutes; this act would consolidate them into a single framework law. The legislation is currently moving through National Assembly proposals alongside government initiatives, and no enactment date has been confirmed.
Once a legal basis exists, three practical things change:
That said, uncertainty remains until enforcement decrees are issued. Rather than waiting for the legislation, the sensible approach right now is to secure the programs that are already confirmed — export vouchers, overseas demonstration support, and overseas standards certification support.
Which Track Is Your Company On? A Three-Step Self-Assessment
Step 1: Classify your track by export performance. The programs available to you differ depending on whether you are preparing for your first export, are an early-stage exporter under $1 million annually, are in a growth phase, or are a company with past export experience that has since stopped.
Step 2: Check product and market fit. Determine whether your consumer product could be a candidate for K-Brand strategic product designation, or whether you should take the industrial goods track with an R&D-linked approach.
Step 3: Organize application materials in advance. This includes export performance certificates, records of overseas standards certifications obtained, trademark filing and registration documents for target markets, English-language company profiles and catalogs, and customs and certificate-of-origin documentation. Starting preparation after a call for applications is published rarely leaves enough time to meet the deadline.
How KITIM Supports Your Export Program Strategy
KITIM works with companies from the stage of designing an export support portfolio and building an annual application calendar. Chasing individual announcements after they appear is not an effective way to respond to a system being reorganized around four axes.
We also provide advance assessment of overseas standards certification and market entry requirements as well as advisory support for preparing application documents. If you would like to confirm which track your company belongs to and which documents to prepare first, we encourage you to use our free corporate diagnosis. Based on the results, we will guide you toward the export support track that fits your business and the programs you should apply for first.