[Inside Chodong] Startup for All Must Become a Chance to Build the Startup Ecosystem's Core Strength

"The Everyone's Startup project was designed with a focus on supporting novice entrepreneurs at the very beginning, at the 'Start' stage," said Han Sung-sook, Minister of SMEs and Startups, ahead of the launch ceremony for the Everyone's Startup Project held at Dreamplus Gangnam on March 25. The Everyone's Startup initiative covers the entire process from developing ideas to actually founding a company. It reflects the belief that the 'how' of starting a business is crucial to building a sustainable startup ecosystem. Minister Han also noted, "There is the idea that you shouldn't just jump into starting a business recklessly."

The driving force behind the Everyone's Startup Project is the recent signs of renewed vitality spreading across the startup ecosystem. Last year, the number of technology startups rebounded to 221,000, up from the previous year. The proportion of technology-based startups among all new businesses rose by 1.3 percentage points year-on-year to 19.5 percent, marking the highest level since statistics have been compiled. This trend has become even more pronounced in 2026. According to the Korea Small Business Institute, the number of startups in January 2026 was 105,097, an 18.8 percent increase from the previous year. The number of technology-based startups reached 23,899, up 33.1 percent from a year earlier. Venture investment also amounted to 13.6 trillion won last year, the second highest since 2021. The number of investment deals hit a record-high 8,542.

However, nobody can guarantee that these positive signals will continue. According to a time-series analysis by Startup Alliance, which reviewed Korea's startup ecosystem over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, the sector first stagnated, then shifted upward after 2017, reaching a peak in 2021, before plummeting from 2022 onward. The reasons were independent: an abrupt contraction in the investment market due to external shocks, such as U.S. interest rate hikes. Although a gradual recovery began in 2024, it remains difficult to rule out the possibility of another shift in momentum given the rapidly changing international situation, such as the Middle East war.

The Everyone's Startup Project finds itself positioned between the optimism driven by signs of vitality and the uncertainty that no one can predict. While there are expectations for a transition to a "National Startup Era" where entrepreneurship becomes the backbone of the national economy, there is also an undercurrent of anxiety that the recent surge of entrepreneurial enthusiasm could collapse at any time. This is why industry insiders agree that what matters most is not simply discovering 5,000 innovative entrepreneurs, but enabling them to develop the resilience needed to endure the challenging startup journey.

Everyone's Startup brings together more than 100 leading startup organizations in Korea to share their accumulated expertise in nurturing entrepreneurs, and over 500 experienced founders who offer mentoring based on their own experiences. A platform has also been established to serve as a startup ecosystem where entrepreneurs, organizations, and mentors can freely communicate and interact. Minister Han, citing a piece by policy chief Kim Yongbeom from the Presidential Office, described the Everyone's Startup Project as a "cultural movement" in which investors, mentors, incubation organizations, and all those involved in evaluations learn and grow together.

Looking at the corporate lifecycle, what happens after a startup is founded is naturally even more important. The success or failure of the National Startup Era will likely be judged by the number of companies that survive after their establishment. However, it is crucial to recognize that the firmer the process leading up to founding a business, the higher the chances of survival post-launch. The Everyone's Startup Project aims to go beyond government-led startup competitions and turn the experience accumulated on the path to entrepreneurship into a foundation for our startup ecosystem's fundamental strength.

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