Beyond 2025 National Audit: Korea’s MSS Bets on AI, Youth Founders, and Regional Venture Funds to Drive Inclusive Innovation

Following intense parliamentary scrutiny over technology protection and policy execution, Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) is steering toward a new growth chapter. Minister Han Seong-sook outlined a reform roadmap centered on AI, deep-tech, and youth-driven entrepreneurship — signaling that Korea’s next “Venture Boom” will hinge not on subsidies, but on scalable innovation and balanced regional opportunity. MSS Outlines Post-Audit Strategy for Startup-Led Growth Speaking at the October 14 parliamentary audit, Minister Han Seong-sook revealed that Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups would concentrate its resources on building a more resilient, innovation-driven economy through AI transformation, deep-tech entrepreneurship, and regional venture capital expansion. She reaffirmed Korea’s ambition to become one of the world’s top four venture nations, describing the next phase as “the Third Venture Boom,” as once shared during Youth Startup Imagination Concert. Key priorities include: AI and deep-tech commercialization: Launching the Next Unicorn Project to provide growth-stage funding and technical validation for emerging innovators. Youth entrepreneurship: Advancing the Startup Rookie Project to discover and nurture over 1,000 young founders each year. Global expansion: Establishing a Startup &…