17 Companies Selected in Jeonbuk, Including the Iksan Jewelry Cooperative

Preferential support for exports, financing, and R&D

On July 17, the Jeonbuk Regional Office of SMEs and Startups (Director Jeon Se-hee) held a certificate and plaque awarding ceremony at the Iksan Jewelry Cooperative for companies selected for the 2024 Global Small Giants 1,000+ project.

The Global Small Giants initiative is a government-led program aimed at identifying export-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with high growth potential and fostering them into global market leaders. Selected companies receive comprehensive support from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, and related institutions across areas such as exports, finance, and R&D.

Companies with exports exceeding USD 100,000 in the previous year are eligible, and they are categorized into stages—Promising, Growing, Small Giant, and Small Giant+—based on their export volume.

This year, a total of 17 companies from Jeonbuk Province were selected for the program. Among them, five—including Sigetronics, Iksan Jewelry Cooperative, Daelim C&C, GMF Co., Ltd., and K-Net Co., Ltd.—attended the ceremony to receive their official certificates and plaques. The remaining 12 companies received their designations earlier this month.

The Iksan Jewelry Cooperative, which hosted the event, was established in 2013 and recorded KRW 8.9 billion in sales last year, with exports accounting for 99% of its revenue—showcasing remarkable growth in a short time.

Selected companies will benefit from various advantages, including automatic eligibility for the SME export voucher program, preferential access to overseas certification support, expanded limits for policy funding and guarantees, and trade insurance premium discounts.

Director Jeon Se-hee of the Jeonbuk SME Office remarked, “We expect these designated companies to enhance their export capacity and global competitiveness. We encourage them to take pride in this recognition and grow into leading global players.”

Jeonmin Ilbo, June 17, 2025