Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) held the Middle Market Enterprise Job Fair in Daejeon on September 8, 2026. The fair was organized to foster shared growth in the region by connecting young talent with regional middle market enterprises facing recruitment difficulties. It also aimed to help middle market enterprises grow to play a central role in regional economies and support the development of growth engines under the Five Mega-Regions and Three Special Self-Governing Provinces (5+3) initiative.

The event drew 66 leading middle market enterprises and prospective middle market enterprises—including YC Corporation and Nepes Ark in semiconductors, Hanmi Pharmaceutical and Huons Group in biopharmaceuticals, and SIMPAC in machinery—and more than 2,000 job seekers. The 12 previous fairs have helped more than 9,000 people find jobs, and this year’s first- and second-half fairs are expected to connect more than 2,000 job seekers with job opportunities.

Beginning this year, the government expanded eligibility for the Youth Job Leap Incentive beyond SMEs to include middle market enterprises outside the capital region. The measure is intended to ease workforce shortages at leading middle market enterprises in the regions and encourage young people to find work there. The government is also increasing the number of industrial technical personnel allocated to each middle market enterprise from two to five. Furthermore, it will continue to support middle market enterprises’ recruitment of young people with master’s or doctoral degrees and experienced technical professionals.

Lee Gyu-bong, Director General for Middle Market Enterprise Policy at MOTIR, said at the opening ceremony, “Middle market enterprises account for just 1.5 percent of all companies in Korea but 13.9 percent of total employment, while providing quality jobs. In particular, I expect them, as a core force behind the regional growth engines under the 5+3 initiative, to continue driving regional economic growth and job creation.” He added, “MOTIR plans to announce its Middle Market Enterprise Growth Ladder 2030 strategy by the end of the year and put in place a systematic framework to support the growth of middle market enterprises.”