KoreaTechDesk | Korean Startup and Technology News

Sat, February 07, 2026

Korea – Vietnam Innovation Bridge: How KOSPO’s New MOU Reflects Korea’s Shift Toward ASEAN Startup Integration

Korea’s latest move in startup diplomacy signals a widening bridge between Seoul and Southeast Asia. The Korea Startup Forum’s new partnership with the National Innovation Center of Vietnam marks a turning point: Korea is not only exporting technology and capital but also connecting startup ecosystems to align with ASEAN’s rapidly…
by Daehyun Song . 7 Feb 2026

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Korea’s Job Forecast Reveals the Next Policy Test: Balancing AI Growth with Human Capital Recovery

South Korea’s latest job forecast shows a revealing divide in its innovation economy. Semiconductor employment is projected to rise on…

by Daehyun Song . 7 Feb 2026
Inside Korea’s Next Growth Engine: How the MSS Is Turning Robotics Startups into the Frontline of Physical AI

South Korea is redefining industrial innovation through robotics. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) is turning robots—once seen as…

by Richard Park . 7 Feb 2026
Korea Turns Compliance into Infrastructure: MSS Targets Illegal Brokers, Rebuilding Startup Capital Access with AI and Transparency

Compliance reform rarely makes headlines, yet Korea’s latest policy shift may redefine how innovation is financed. Today, the Ministry of…

by Dae-jung Park . 7 Feb 2026
K-Beauty’s Next Play: How Hiring Data Reveals a Global-Stage Strategy

Korea’s beauty sector has long set global trends through products. Now, it is rewriting the rules of talent. New recruitment…

by Daehyun Song . 6 Feb 2026
Korea’s Tourism Startup Program Expands to AI, Deep Tech and Immersive Content in Global Push for “Smart Tourism”

South Korea is aligning its tourism industry with the country’s broader AI and digital transformation agenda. By expanding its national…

by Dae-jung Park . 6 Feb 2026
Korea Launches AI Privacy Council to Redefine Data Ethics in the Age of Agentic AI

Korea’s next phase of AI governance begins not with a new law, but with a new kind of table. The…

by Dae-jung Park . 6 Feb 2026

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MOST READ ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

[mostReadArticle]
Dnotitia Readies IPO After Turning AI Memory Bottlenecks into a New Semiconductor Category

Korea’s AI semiconductor race is entering a new phase. Dnotitia, a fast-rising deep-tech startup specializing in AI memory and vector…

by Richard Park . 4 Feb 2026

Rebellions and Wert Intelligence Link AI Chips to LegalTech, Becoming Korea’s Pioneers in Patent AI Infrastructure

South Korea’s deep-tech ecosystem is entering a new vertical. AI chipmaker Rebellions and LegalTech startup Wert Intelligence have joined forces…

by Chloe kim . 4 Feb 2026
TheVentures Builds Global AI Pipeline with OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic to Ease Startup Costs

TheVentures, one of Korea’s leading early-stage investors, is setting a new precedent in startup infrastructure support. Its newly announced partnership…

by Richard Park . 3 Feb 2026
Persona AI’s Strategic Pre-IPO Raise Signals Korea’s Next Wave of Sovereign, Physical AI Innovation

Korea’s AI sector is entering a pivotal transition — one defined not by scale, but by technological sovereignty. Persona AI’s…

by Chloe kim . 2 Feb 2026
Korea Launches AI Privacy Council to Redefine Data Ethics in the Age of Agentic AI

Korea’s next phase of AI governance begins not with a new law, but with a new kind of table. The country has brought regulators, judges, researchers, and tech leaders together in a brand new AI Privacy Council to decide how data ethics will evolve when artificial intelligence acts on its own. What emerges from this collaboration could define how democracies govern agentic systems without losing public trust or technological pace. Korea’s Joint Framework for AI Privacy and Data Governance The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) officially convened the 2026 AI Privacy Public-Private Policy Council on February 2 at the Federation of Banks building in Seoul. The initiative builds on the government’s recognition that privacy frameworks designed in the pre-ChatGPT era are no longer sufficient. The council aims to establish a governance model that reflects how AI agents and physical AI systems now collect, infer, and act on data autonomously—posing ethical and regulatory challenges far beyond traditional consent-based structures. The council comprises 37 representatives across government, academia, industry, the legal community, and civil society. PIPC Chairperson Song Kyung-hee serves as government…

6 Feb 2026
Trump’s Tariff Threat Reopens a Risk Korea Thought It Had Closed — and Startups Are Caught in the Middle

When uncertainty returns, apparently it doesn’t knock twice — it barges in instead. Korea’s trade-dependent economy woke up to a…

28 Jan 2026
Regional Quotas Enter Korea’s Startup Playbook — Balancing Growth or Risking Resource Strain?

Korea’s startup map has always tilted toward Seoul. Now, the government is trying to redraw it. With the 2026 Fund…

27 Jan 2026
Between Innovation and Oversight: Korea’s AI Basic Act Enters Enforcement with Uneasy Confidence

Artificial intelligence has reached the point where regulation is no longer optional. South Korea’s AI Basic Act, now in force,…

22 Jan 2026
At Startup Investor Summit 2026, Korea’s Startup Ecosystem Charts Its Post-Policy Future

Korea’s startup ecosystem is redefining what capital means. At the 2026 Startup Investor Summit in Busan, industry leaders, investors, and policymakers gathered to discuss how early-stage investment can mature beyond financial dependency — into a trust-based, private-led ecosystem where experience, collaboration, and innovation drive long-term sustainability. Startup Investor Summit 2026 Brings Together Korea’s Public and Private Leaders The Korea Association of Initial Investment Accelerators (KAIA) will be hosting the 2026 Startup Investor Summit in Busan from January 29 to 30, under the theme “Beyond Capital, Shaking Paradigms.” The event will be jointly organized with Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Technopark Investment Institute. Participants include accelerators, venture capital firms (VCs), limited partners (LPs), and regional innovation organizations. Together, they will explore the evolution of Korea’s early-stage investment landscape — from government-supported capital to a mature, private-driven venture ecosystem. Keynote and Main Sessions: Redefining Early-Stage Investment In the keynote session, Jiwoong Park, CEO of Fast Track Asia, is offering a panoramic view of the changing global and domestic startup investment environment, emphasizing the strategic role of early investors in shaping ecosystem…

25 Jan 2026
Korea’s Startup Investors Gather at Startup Investor Summit 2026 in Busan to Redefine Capital Beyond Money

Korea’s startup ecosystem is entering a new chapter where capital is no longer defined by money alone. As investment patterns…

14 Jan 2026
CES 2026: Korea’s Innovation Stage Is Global, Its Homework Still Local

For years, Korea’s startups have arrived at CES 2026 to prove they belong on the global stage. This year, they…

14 Jan 2026
Korea’s Deep-Tech Shift Is Further Unfolding — And CES 2026 Was the Proof

Las Vegas was noisy, as CES always is. But what stood out in the K-Startup Pavilion this year wasn’t the…

10 Jan 2026
[Exclusive Interview] ArbaLabs Founder Ashley Reeves on Korea’s Deep Tech, Trust, & Real-World AI

In an era when “AI innovation” is often reduced to marketing noise, Estonia-based ArbaLabs stands out for what it refuses…

by Zee Cindy . 9 Jan 2026
IDOLL Robotics: Korea’s Emotional AI Frontier & the Rise of the “Forever Companion” at K-Startup Grand Challenge 2025

In a country leading the world in robotics and AI adoption, IDOLL Robotics stands at the edge of a new…

by Zee Cindy . 4 Jan 2026
Vyuhaa Med Data at K-Startup Grand Challenge 2025: Redefining Diagnostic Equity through AI-Driven Microscopy

The promise of AI in healthcare often feels distant—powerful in theory, but uneven in reach. Vyuhaa Med Data, an India-based…

by Zee Cindy . 4 Jan 2026
KIBO’s Venture Camp Evolves into a National Accelerator Platform — Adding ESG and Global Growth Tracks

Korea Technology Finance Corporation (KIBO) is transforming its flagship Venture Camp into a national-scale accelerator initiative that blends public policy,…

by Richard Park . 19 Jan 2026

Korea Development Bank Launches ₩7.5 Trillion “National Growth Fund” to Back Deep Tech and AI Ventures

Korea’s policy finance system is entering a new phase of scale and precision. The Korea Development Bank (KDB) has launched…

by Richard Park . 18 Jan 2026
FuturePlay Secures ‘TIPS Operator of the Year’ as Korea Tightens Links Between Investment, R&D, and Global Scale-Up

As Korea recalibrates its startup policy toward deeper integration between capital, technology development, and overseas expansion, the role of intermediary…

by Zee Cindy . 22 Dec 2025
Korea’s D.CAMP Partners with Stanford to Build a Launchpad for Global Consumer Innovation

In the global startup landscape, the next frontier of competition lies not only in technology but in understanding consumers across…

by Richard Park . 21 Dec 2025
Unlocking Innovation: How Startups Can Leverage IMDA’s Open Innovation Platform

In today’s fast-evolving digital landscape, innovation is key to staying ahead. Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has taken a…

4 Apr 2025
Factagora Launches South Korea’s First Cloud-Based AI Legal Service at Law Firm Shin & Kim

In a first of its kind instance in South Korea’s legal industry, prominent law firm Shin & Kim has implemented…

25 Dec 2024
Top Co-working Spaces for Startups & Companies to Explore in South Korea

For startups, the beginning years are the most crucial ones, when the pitches to VCs are to be made, teams…

3 Apr 2024