The Small Enterprise and Market Service (SEMAS) is operating a psychological recovery program to help small business owners who have closed their businesses get back on their feet. The initiative aims to provide emotional stability and restore the will to try again for entrepreneurs who have fallen into psychological difficulties after experiencing business hardship and closure.
SEMAS announced on January 13 that it held a field meeting on the "Hope Return Package Psychological Recovery Support" program at the National Daejeon Forest Healing Center on January 11.
The meeting was attended by 14 participants including SEMAS Chairman In Tae-yeon, officials from the Korea Forest Welfare Institute, and small business owners who participated in the psychological recovery program. Attendees reviewed the current operation of the psychological recovery support program designed to help closed business owners overcome depression and trauma, and discussed areas for improvement.
The Hope Return Package Psychological Recovery Support project is a program that helps small business owners facing difficulties from business closure regain psychological stability and establish a foundation for a fresh start. According to the Korea Federation of SMEs' "2025 Survey on Closed Small Business Owners," the average operating period for closed small businesses was only six years and six months. Declining profitability and poor sales accounted for the highest share of closure reasons at 86.7 percent.
In response, SEMAS has partnered with the Korea Forest Welfare Institute to provide emotional recovery support through forest healing programs and other forest therapy activities. The psychological recovery support program for small business owners seeking to restart was first introduced last year. Participant satisfaction surveys showed meaningful results, with resilience increasing 5.9 percent and emotional stability rising 11.9 percent compared to before participation.
This year's program will run monthly from March through November at forest welfare facilities nationwide. It will operate at regional hubs including the National Daecheong Forest Healing Center in Daejeon, Yeongju National Forest Management Office in North Gyeongsang Province, Jinan Healing Forest in North Jeolla Province, and Hoengseong and Chuncheon in Gangwon Province.
Chairman In personally participated in the forest therapy program with attendees before listening to on-site opinions from therapy staff and participating business owners. Issues raised at the meeting included experiencing psychological stability and recovery through program participation, strengthening the will to restart, and the need for continued follow-up support.
"We will enhance support for small business owners seeking to restart through data-driven performance analysis and flexible, participant-centered program design that actively reflects field demand," Chairman In said.
