October 25 Public Procurement Market Report: Daehun Environment Also Lands Just One Contract
One Contract per Company… A Decentralized Map Emerges in the Procurement Market
Eighty government procurement records point to a single conclusion. Rather than being concentrated in a few large players, the contracts were distributed evenly—one per company—across 80 small and mid-sized specialized firms. A review of Public Procurement Service contract histories shows that every company in this dataset recorded exactly one procurement win, with none securing multiple contracts.
This distribution runs counter to the common perception of a public contracting market dominated by large corporations. The companies that appeared range from regional SMEs in environmental and forestry fields, such as Daehun Environment, Daekyung Forest Development, and Forest Resources Development Co., to technology and design specialists like Eastone Engineering and Hanbit Engineering & Architects Co., and even financial-sector firms such as Kyobo Life Planet Insurance. It illustrates how the procurement market keeps its doors open across a wide spectrum of industries.
Patterns by Sector: A Composition Led by Environment and Technology
A closer look at the company roster reveals two distinct pillars. One is the green infrastructure domain spanning environment, forestry, and landscaping; the other is the technical services domain represented by engineering, safety, and geospatial information. Daehun Environment, Daekyung Forest Development, and Forest Resources Development fall into the former, while Eastone Engineering, Hyuksin Safety Technology, and Geumgang Geospatial Information exemplify the latter.
This composition aligns with the recent direction of public procurement. As the government allocates budgets toward carbon neutrality and land and safety management, private demand for landscaping, forestry, and disaster prevention has grown structurally, and this flow is reflected in the data as company-level results. The inclusion of building maintenance firms like Samjeong Elevator also suggests that aging infrastructure repair has become a stable pillar of procurement demand.
On the services and distribution side, companies such as MyShopOnShop Co. and Yble Co. also made the list. It shows how the procurement market, once narrowly viewed as centered on goods purchasing, has evolved into a broader market encompassing online platforms and everyday services.
The Meaning of a Single Win: Barriers to Entry and the Challenge of Sustainability
The fact that all 80 companies recorded exactly one contract each invites two interpretations. On the positive side, it indicates that the barriers to entering the procurement market are low for small and mid-sized enterprises. It is evidence that electronic bidding via Nara Market and small-purchase systems have significantly lowered the hurdles to building a first public-sector track record.
However, the absence of any company with two or more repeat contracts deserves a sober look. It means the ability to convert an initial contract into follow-up orders remains unproven. As Conrad Hilton said, success comes from keeping on the move—so too will the companies that survive in the procurement market be those that treat their first contract not as an end but as the start of an accumulating track record.
Outlook: Conditions for Sustaining Decentralized Procurement
The procurement market is expected to maintain its current decentralized structure to a considerable degree. With the innovative procurement system and preferential policies for small businesses and SMEs now institutionalized, the pool of new entrants is likely to expand. As long as public investment continues in the environment, safety, and digital sectors, the sectoral pattern observed in this data—the twin pillars of green infrastructure and technical services—is expected to persist.
The key will be repeat contracts. Whether an ecosystem emerges in which first-time contractors go on to win second and third contracts will determine whether decentralized procurement is a passing phenomenon or a structural shift. The market's true direction will become clear once follow-up data reveals the re-contract rate among one-contract firms.
