Low Fear of Failure, High Barriers to Re-Entry: What Korea’s 2026 Startup Data Reveals About Capital Friction
South Korea now ranks among the world’s least failure-averse societies in entrepreneurship. One in four adults plans to start a…
AroundX Scaled to 403 Startups with OpenAI, HP, and More: Turning Global Collaboration into Policy-Backed Infrastructure
Korea’s open innovation platform AroundX is entering a new phase. In 2026, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups will select 403 startups to collaborate with 17 multinational corporations, including OpenAI, HP, Mercedes-Benz Korea, and Astellas. The scale and structure signal a shift from partnership announcements toward institutionalized, policy-backed execution within…
by
Dae-jung Park . 28 Feb 2026
Latest Article
Inside Korea’s Startup Lobby Shift: KOSPO Names a New Chair and Targets Emerging-Industry Rule Reform
South Korea’s largest startup association has entered a leadership transition at a time of policy recalibration. Korea Startup Forum has…
by Dae-jung Park . 28 Feb 2026
As FuriosaAI Scales RNGD Production, Korea’s AI Chip Ambition Enters Its First Commercial Stress Test
AI chip ambition is easy to celebrate at the prototype stage. It becomes harder when wafers turn into shipments, and…
by Chloe kim . 28 Feb 2026
Inside Korea’s Startup Funding Machine: From Government Budget to Venture Capital to Bank Account
Korea’s startup ecosystem is often described as policy-driven and well-capitalized. Annual budget announcements, multi-trillion-won venture plans, and flagship programs regularly…
by Zee Cindy . 27 Feb 2026
K-Beauty Becomes Korea’s First Sector-Specific AI Manufacturing Push
K-Beauty’s global reputation was built on branding speed and product cycles. Now, Seoul is turning its attention to the factory…
by Dae-jung Park . 27 Feb 2026
Korea Moves Sovereign AI From Model Race to Deployment — Elice Joins LG Consortium to Operationalize K-EXAONE
South Korea’s sovereign AI effort is entering a new stage. After months of benchmark evaluations under the government’s independent AI…
by Chloe kim . 27 Feb 2026
Popular posts
[newpage]
MOST READ ARTICLE OF THE WEEK
[mostReadArticle]
As FuriosaAI Scales RNGD Production, Korea’s AI Chip Ambition Enters Its First Commercial Stress Test
AI chip ambition is easy to celebrate at the prototype stage. It becomes harder when wafers turn into shipments, and…
by Chloe kim . 28 Feb 2026
Korea Moves Sovereign AI From Model Race to Deployment — Elice Joins LG Consortium to Operationalize K-EXAONE
South Korea’s sovereign AI effort is entering a new stage. After months of benchmark evaluations under the government’s independent AI…
by Chloe kim . 27 Feb 2026
As Korea’s AI Basic Act Takes Effect, DeepBrain AI Moves Deepfake Detection into Global Infrastructure
As South Korea’s AI Basic Act enters enforcement, regulatory clarity is colliding with a hard reality: synthetic media threats are…
by Chloe kim . 26 Feb 2026
Korea’s AI Goes Global Under a New Rulebook: 5 Verified Companies Already Scaling Overseas
Seoul now ranks as the world’s second most powerful AI city, according to Counterpoint Research’s 2025 AI Cities Index, just…
by Zee Cindy . 23 Feb 2026
Korea Passes Semiconductor Special Act — But Its ₩2T Funding Engine Won’t Start Until 2027
Korea has secured the law. But the money? No, not yet. And for a country positioning semiconductor at the center of its AI-era strategy, the sequencing actually matters. The National Assembly’s passage of the Semiconductor Special Act signals policy intent. Yet the KRW 2 trillion special account designed to power that intent will not operate until 2027, introducing a one-year gap between declaration and dedicated capital deployment. Korea Semiconductor Special Act 2026 Approved, Special Account Delayed On January 29, the National Assembly passed the “Special Act on Strengthening and Supporting the Competitiveness of the Semiconductor Industry” during its plenary session. The bill cleared with 199 votes in favor and 7 abstentions out of 206 members present. The Act provides the legal basis for designating semiconductor clusters and supporting infrastructure development, including expansion of power, water supply, road networks, and administrative assistance such as expedited approvals and special exemptions from preliminary feasibility studies. Industry groups welcomed the move. The Korea Semiconductor Industry Association described the legislation as “an important turning point” and “a starting point for elevating semiconductor competitiveness in the…
25 Feb 2026
Korea Bets ₩87B on Field-Ready AI: What Manufacturing Startups and Global Investors Should Watch
Manufacturing AI is no longer a future narrative in Korea. It is becoming a funding structure. With KRW 87 billion…
24 Feb 2026
Korea Moves to Shield 6,000 Exporters After U.S. Supreme Court Tariff Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did more than settle…
22 Feb 2026
From IEEPA to Section 122: How America’s Tariff Shift Reshapes Risk for Korean Export-Driven Startups
The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down one of President Donald Trump’s most aggressive trade tools. Yet within hours, a…
21 Feb 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
Inside Korea’s Startup Lobby Shift: KOSPO Names a New Chair and Targets Emerging-Industry Rule Reform
South Korea’s largest startup association has entered a leadership transition at a time of policy recalibration. Korea Startup Forum has…
28 Feb 2026
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