KBIZ Term-Limit Debate Exposes Governance Tensions in Korea’s SME Ecosystem

South Korea’s main SME umbrella organization is facing an internal governance debate that is beginning to attract national attention. The Korea Federation of SMEs (KBIZ) recently discussed removing term limits for cooperative chairpersons and federation executives following a legislative amendment proposal in the National Assembly. While the proposal is framed as an operational reform, the debate is exposing deeper tensions about leadership concentration, institutional transparency, and governance stability inside Korea’s SME representation system. KBIZ Briefing Sparks Controversy After February General Assembly According to Korean media reports, the Korea Federation of SMEs held its regular general assembly on February 26 in Yeouido, Seoul, approving five formal agenda items before closing the meeting. Immediately after the assembly ended, members reportedly held a separate briefing session discussing a proposed amendment to the Small and Medium Enterprise Cooperatives Act. The bill was introduced in late 2025 by Democratic Party lawmaker Jung Jin-wook. The proposed amendment includes provisions that would remove term limits for: the KBIZ chairman cooperative chairpersons within member organizations federation executives Under the current legal framework: The KBIZ chairman may serve one…