Kakao Weighs Daum Exit, Upstage Emerges as Strategic Buyer: A Push Toward AI-Centric Platform Strategy
Korea’s platform economy is entering a moment of quiet reckoning. As legacy internet assets lose strategic gravity, artificial intelligence and…
Building a Connected Innovation Engine: Korea’s Integrated R&D Plan Links AI, Industry, and Regional Development
Korea’s public research system is entering a new phase, and this time, it’s defined by coordination and connected innovation. With two key ministries joining forces for the first time, the government is signaling a shift toward an integrated national R&D framework. For startups and tech investors, this move could reshape…
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Dae-jung Park . 23 Dec 2025
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Korea Rewires 2026 Startup & SME Funding System: Demand-Driven Policy, AI Fast Track, and Regional Growth Push
Korea’s startup and SME policy is shifting away from headline numbers toward operational precision. In its 2026 funding blueprint, the…
by Richard Park . 23 Dec 2025
Inside Korea’s New AI Startup Playbook: Fewer Tax Audits, Faster R&D, Longer Runway
Korea’s push to become a global AI powerhouse is entering a more operational phase. Beyond funding programs and strategy papers,…
by Dae-jung Park . 22 Dec 2025
From G-Dragon to Robot Idols, Korea’s Unicorn Galaxy Corporation Targets a 2026 IPO Through Strategic Enter-Tech IP
Korea’s entertainment industry is no longer shaped by talent agencies alone. As intellectual property, artificial intelligence, and robotics begin to…
by Chloe kim . 22 Dec 2025
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
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PYLER Wins NVIDIA Inception Grand Challenge 2025: Building Korea’s Safety Infrastructure for AI’s Next Decade
As generative AI accelerates across industries, the global challenge is no longer about creating intelligence—it’s about securing trust. Korean startup…
by Dae-jung Park . 21 Dec 2025
Beyond Translation: How “Aurorah” AI by HiveMind Tackles Korea’s Web Novel Export Bottleneck
The next frontier of Korea’s creative economy may not lie in producing more content, but in helping it cross borders…
by Zee Cindy . 19 Dec 2025
Why Rebellions Is Betting on AI Inference to Challenge NVIDIA’s GPU-Centric Dominance
As global AI infrastructure shifts toward real-world deployment, inference is emerging as the next competitive frontier. Korea’s AI semiconductor unicorn…
by Chloe kim . 17 Dec 2025
How Rebellions’ NPU Validation Marks Korea’s Broader Bet on AI Infrastructure and Industry Collaboration
South Korea’s race to establish sovereign AI infrastructure is revealing how deep-tech startups now serve as both technological pioneers and…
by Richard Park . 8 Dec 2025
Korea Signals Harder Line on Startup Tech Theft as President Calls for Penalty Review
South Korea is reassessing how it protects startup innovation at a moment when technology theft is increasingly treated as an economic security issue. During the government’s 2026 policy briefings, President Lee Jae-myung openly questioned whether existing penalties deter misconduct at all. His remarks triggered a policy review that could reshape intellectual property enforcement, carrying direct implications for startups, investors, and foreign companies entering the Korean market. President Lee Questions KRW 2 Billion Cap at 2026 Policy Briefing On December 17, 2025, President Lee Jae-myung expressed concerns over Korea’s current penalty framework for technology theft during ministry policy briefings held at the Government Complex Sejong. The session covered reports from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Korean Intellectual Property Office. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups reported plans to impose administrative penalties of up to KRW 2 billion (~USD 1.5 million) on companies found guilty of repeated or malicious technology theft. The proposal represented a sharp increase compared with past administrative fines, which were generally capped at KRW 30 million to KRW…
19 Dec 2025
Inside Korea’s 2026 TIPS Expansion: More Capital, Regional Priority, and a Global Track
South Korea is recalibrating one of its most influential startup policy tools. In 2026, the government will significantly expand the…
19 Dec 2025
Korea Doubles Down on Startups in 2026, but the Real Test Lies Beyond the First Funding Round
South Korea is reshaping its startup policy around one clear idea: recovery is no longer enough. In 2026, the government…
19 Dec 2025
Korea Adjusts Startup Eligibility to Match Reality on the Ground, Expanding Pathways to Public Support Programs
South Korea is recalibrating how it defines a startup, acknowledging that early-stage companies rarely follow linear paths. By revising long-standing…
17 Dec 2025
OpenAI and Mercedes-Benz Join Korea’s AroundX, Signaling a Deep-Tech Pivot in Global Startup Collaboration
Global innovation is entering a new cooperative phase, where AI giants and industrial powerhouses are no longer just market players but co-architects of startup ecosystems. Korea’s expanding open innovation strategy, anchored by the AroundX platform, reveals how cross-border partnerships are transforming from selective alliances into systemic engines of deep-tech acceleration and global market readiness. Korea Expands AroundX with OpenAI, Mercedes-Benz, and Global Partners Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) announced that four new global corporations—OpenAI, Mercedes-Benz, HP, and Astellas—will join its flagship open innovation initiative, AroundX, beginning in 2026. The announcement was made on December 12 at the AroundX Open Innovation Seminar during COMEUP 2025 in Seoul’s COEX Convention Center. With these additions, the program will grow to 17 participating global corporations, deepening its reach across AI, mobility, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing. Since its 2019 inception, AroundX has evolved from a pilot collaboration with Google Play into one of Korea’s most recognized public-private innovation platforms. The initiative now connects over 1,600 Korean startups with multinational corporations including NVIDIA, Microsoft, AWS, Oracle, IBM, Intel, and L’Oréal. AroundX: Seven Years of…
15 Dec 2025
COMEUP 2025 Turns from Showcase to Marketplace: 2,800 Global Matches Signal Korea’s New Venture Reality
Korea’s startup festival COMEUP 2025 has reached a turning point. Once viewed as a showcase, it is now functioning as…
14 Dec 2025
beSUCCESS Showcases Global Startups at K-Scouter 2025 Demo Day, Signaling Korea’s Expanding Innovation Gateway
In an era where startup ecosystems are competing to attract global innovation, Korea is quietly reshaping its role, launching startups…
3 Dec 2025
Humain CEO Tareq Amin’s First Korea Visit for COMEUP 2025: A New Chapter in Saudi – Korea AI Cooperation
As Saudi Arabia accelerates its ambitions to lead the AI-driven global economy, Humain CEO Tareq Amin is preparing for his…
24 Nov 2025
Reimagining Real Estate Development with AI: Meet the Founders of Zenerate
What if you could design smarter buildings in minutes instead of months—and boost returns while doing it? That’s the vision…
by Aditi Dave . 4 Jun 2025
Mednaath CEO Nitish Kumar on Revolutionizing Multilingual Customer Service with Voice AI in Korea & Beyond
Mednaath is a company founded by Nitish Kumar, IIT Alumni, in India in 2021 and expanded to South Korea in…
by Dae-jung Park . 1 Jun 2025
Pioneering Precision: How South Korea’s Galux is Redefining Antibody Discovery with AI
Korean biotech startup Galux Inc. is making waves on the global stage with its groundbreaking AI-driven platform, GaluxDesign, designed to…
by Aditi Dave . 26 May 2025
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
New Venture Coaching Certification KVMCC Sets Global Benchmark in Korea’s Founder Support
South Korea has quietly introduced one of its most forward-looking ecosystem reforms — a professional certification for venture mentors. The…
by Zee Cindy . 21 Dec 2025
Beyond the Winner: What K-Startup Grand Challenge 2025 Startups Reveal About Korea’s Inbound Strategy
Korea’s inbound startup strategy is becoming clearer. The K-Startup Grand Challenge (KSGC) 2025 Demo Day, held on December 11 at…
by Zee Cindy . 20 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