Two-thirds of S.Korea's SMEs suffer drop in exports

A survey of 500 of South Korea's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) revealed that 67.4 percent suffered drops in exports this year.

Of those surveyed, only 8.2 percent said their exports increased from last year, while 24.4 percent said they were the same.

The poll also showed that nearly 50 percent expect their exports to be similar in 2021. round 41 percent expect worse in the coming year, with 9.6 percent expecting improvements.

They cited a global economic slump caused by the coronavirus pandemic as the main reason for their pessimism.

Nearly 53 percent of those SMEs request the government to prioritize securing cargo ships and flights and covering their shipping costs.