The Korean government announced the '5th Basic Plan for Supporting Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Workforce' to address the labor shortage of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and promote AI transition. This plan is scheduled to be implemented from 2026 to 2030, and includes various support policies such as expanding the scale of training practical AI manpower for SMEs manufacturing companies from 600 people this year to over 1,600 people next year, and extending the internship period for SMEs from 3 months to 12 months. In addition, it plans to increase the proportion of hires for companies in non-metropolitan areas to address the shortage of research personnel in local SMEs, and create new preferential tracks for young employees, contributing to youth employment.
