Jinju City to Host "K-Entrepreneurship Startup Competition" to Discover Innovative Entrepreneurs

Total Prize Money of 58 Million Won and New "Jinju Startup Award"

Expansion of Startup Infrastructure to 370 Spaces Planned

Jinju City, known as the "Capital of Entrepreneurship in Korea," announced on March 11, 2026, that it will host the "2026 K-Entrepreneurship Startup Competition" to discover innovative entrepreneurs and promote the spread of entrepreneurial spirit. The city has officially begun accepting applications.

This competition, co-hosted by the Jinju K-Entrepreneurship Foundation, Gyeongsang National University, Maeil Business Newspaper, and the Korea Business Incubation Association, aims to inherit the entrepreneurial spirit of the founders of LG, GS, Samsung, and Hyosung Groups, who led Korea's economic miracle, and to discover creative startup talents who will drive the future economy.

The competition was first introduced in conjunction with the 2025 "Jinju K-Entrepreneurship Youth Forum." Reflecting the historical significance of Jinju City—where the founders of LG, GS, Samsung, and Hyosung Groups exchanged ideas and nurtured their entrepreneurial spirit in their youth—the event drew national attention by awarding prizes named after each founder's pen name.

Jinju City, 2025 Start-up Competition Awards Ceremony Photo

Last year, 106 teams from across the country participated, making the event a major success. This year, a total of 10 teams across 3 categories will be selected, with total prize money amounting to 58 million won. In particular, a new "Jinju Startup Award" has been established to discover local startup talent, aiming to boost the participation of local youth and aspiring entrepreneurs and to invigorate the regional startup ecosystem.

Additionally, during the Jinju K-Entrepreneurship Youth Forum, which will be held from July 9 to 10, the presentation of outstanding cases from the startup competition will be expanded. Poster presentations will also be held, allowing participants to share their ideas and achievements, further broadening opportunities for exchange and learning among entrepreneurs.

The competition notice will be available from March 9 through April 10, and applications will be accepted from March 25 to April 10. Further details can be found on the Jinju K-Entrepreneurship Foundation website.

Meanwhile, Jinju City is also accelerating the development of infrastructure to create a startup-friendly environment alongside the competition. Previously, startup incubators operated by universities and related organizations offered only about 140 rooms, but now, with four startup infrastructure locations, an additional 140 rooms have been added, bringing the total to approximately 280. Furthermore, by 2027, three more startup infrastructure sites with about 90 additional rooms are expected to be completed, resulting in a total of about 370 startup incubation spaces.

Currently, Jinju City operates the "Jinju Startup Support Center" to support early-stage startups, the "Jinju Knowledge Industry Center" to support growing companies, and the "Complex Innovation Center" to foster companies in the aerospace sector, providing support systems tailored to the growth stages of businesses.

In addition, the "Green Startup Town," which is being established at the Chilam Campus of Gyeongsang National University, and the "Green Bio Venture Campus," which is being built at the Jinju Bio Industry Promotion Institute, are scheduled for completion in 2027. Once completed, these will serve as key hubs of Jinju’s startup ecosystem.

Jinju City is integrating the values of human respect and community emphasized by "Jinju K-Entrepreneurship" into its overall startup policies to build a differentiated "startup-friendly city" model. The city is simultaneously operating the Jinju K-Entrepreneurship Center, hosting youth forums and startup competitions, conducting startup education and talent development programs, and implementing customized initiatives such as the Jinju-style Startup Academy, support for one-person startups, and IR Insight Tours to help companies achieve real growth.

A city official stated, "Through the startup competition, we will discover young entrepreneurs with innovative ideas and create a dynamic startup ecosystem where companies can settle and grow, by linking startup infrastructure with entrepreneurship-based programs."

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