Jongno-gu Partners with Seongdae and Others to Become the 'Number One Hub for Youth Startups'

Receiving up to 1.5 Billion KRW Annually for 3 Years from Seoul City... Baehwa Women's University and Korea National Open University Also to Join Local University Cluster Development

Jongno-gu (District Mayor Jeong Munheon) is partnering with local universities to become the number one hub for youth startups.

Following Jongno-gu's selection as a 2024 Seoul Campus Town project site, on the 12th, an agreement was made at Sungkyunkwan University’s 600th Anniversary Hall to collaborate with Sungkyunkwan University, Baewha Women’s University, and Korea National Open University to establish a university cluster in the area.

Earlier, in August, the district applied for this project with Sungkyunkwan University and achieved consecutive selections as a unit-type project in 2017, a comprehensive-type in 2020, and now as a startup-type Campus Town in 2024, securing up to 1.5 billion KRW annually in project funding from the Seoul Metropolitan Government for three years.

Focusing on discovering and nurturing preliminary and early-stage startups to create youth jobs and revitalizing the local community by utilizing the human and material resources of universities, the district plans to closely cooperate not only with Sungkyunkwan University but also with other local universities for next year’s Seoul Campus Town (startup-type) project.

As a representative example, Korea National Open University will provide its on-campus small theater as a startup support space to back the development of culture and arts sectors.

Baewha Women’s University will assist startups in fashion, jewelry, food, and health fields to create prototypes through a ‘Maker Space’ that supports creative activities such as K-crafts by integrating 4th industrial revolution technologies.

Jongno-gu will also link and operate the ‘Jongno Youth Startup Center’ in connection with the Sungkyunkwan University Seoul Campus Town project.

The ‘Local University Cluster Proclamation Ceremony’ held on the 12th was attended by District Mayor Jeong Munheon, Sungkyunkwan University President Yoo Ji-beom, Korea National Open University President Ko Seong-hwan, Baewha Women’s University President Shin Jong-seok, and Sungkyunkwan University Campus Town Project Director Kim Kyung-hwan.

The event, starting at 2 p.m., proceeded with presentations on cluster operation plans, discussions on project directions, signing of agreements, and a visit to the Seonggwak Valley cluster booth.

District Mayor Jeong Munheon stated, “We aim to become a leading startup hub representing Seoul by using the establishment of a local university cluster as a stepping stone. With this selection, a green light has been turned on to create the number one youth startup zone, and we will implement effective policies that allow young people’s brave challenges and hopes to continue.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.