Korean Government Hosts Export Voucher Matching Fair to Boost SME Global Reach

On the 22nd, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, led by Minister Han Seong-sook, along with the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, under the leadership of CEO Kang Seok-jin, announced the hosting of the "2026 Export Voucher Matching Fair" at the Parnas Hotel in Seoul. This event aims to facilitate tailored connections between export voucher executing agencies and participating companies, supporting their strategies for international expansion.

The fair serves as a platform for export voucher companies to discover executing agencies that align with their specific needs while receiving expert consultations to refine their global market strategies. By enhancing the effective utilization of the export voucher, the initiative is positioned to support measurable outcomes in export performance.

Since its inception in 2019, the Export Voucher Matching Fair has been conducted annually for eight years. This year, approximately 400 participating companies and 84 executing agencies, totaling around 480 entities, engaged in the event. A pre-matching system was implemented to facilitate collaborative meetings between companies and their preferred agencies, thereby elevating the quality of export voucher consultations.

The event featured diverse programs, including a matching consultation room for participating companies and executing agencies, an export voucher mentoring area, an export issue consultation room, a logistics consultation area, a venture capital professionals section, and promotional activities from the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency.

During the consultation session, tailored dialogues were held between participating companies and distinguished executing agencies across 15 service categories related to export vouchers. Expert consultants provided guidance on the use of export vouchers, support in resolving export challenges, and introductions to the various services offered by the agency.

Notably, a new venture capital professionals section was introduced this year to support expanding private investments, allowing export voucher participants to present their companies through Investor Relations (IR pitching) and receive financial consulting services. Additionally, a logistics consultation area was established to address shipping challenges faced by small businesses amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Park Jang-hyuk, the Global Growth Director of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, emphasized the importance of tailored support from specialized executing agencies for export SMEs to secure their competitive edge in the global market. He expressed hope that the fair would enable participating companies to achieve tangible results in overseas expansion through strong partnerships with capable executing agencies.