Since the Korea-Chile free trade agreement came into effect in 2004, Korea's small and mid-sized enterprises have posted a larger increase in exports than major corporations.

According to the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, about 2,400 Korean companies have entered the Chilean market since the trade deal, of which 96 percent were SMEs.

Their share of the export volume has nearly doubled from 49 percent prior to the FTA to 83 percent after.

Bigger firms posted a steady growth rate in exports for the past decade regardless of the agreement, while smaller companies benefited more from the deal and showed a sharp increase in outbound shipments in 2004.