The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development (KISED) said on the 9th they will recruit the first resident companies ahead of the opening of K-StartHub, a new startup infrastructure that supports global startup growth.
K-StartHub is the largest startup incubation facility in Korea, located near Hongdae Ipgu Station in Mapo District, Seoul. It will support the full cycle from early founding to global expansion by providing advisory services that help domestic startup companies expand overseas and assist foreign entrepreneurs with settling in Korea and navigating licensing and permit procedures.
This recruitment targets the first corporations to move in after K-StartHub opens. Resident corporations will be provided with business infrastructure such as independent office space, meeting rooms, and lounges. Non-resident corporations can also use shared offices through a membership. Expansion programs such as technical, legal, and tax advisory, open innovation, global expansion, and investment linkage will also be supported.
Global and domestic large corporations and global investment firms, including SK Telecom and Hyundai Engineering & Construction, are scheduled to move into K-StartHub. The plan is to create an environment where they can build global networks and collaborate from the initial stage of residency.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) plans to focus support on fields with high global scalability—such as artificial intelligence (AI), beauty and fashion, and content and culture—considering the characteristics of the Hongdae area, which is concentrated with foreign students, tourists, and creative talent. Startup corporations wishing to move in can apply through the K-Startup website by 3 p.m. on the 6th of next month. Move-ins are scheduled to begin in late April.
Cho Kyung-won, entrepreneurship policy director at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), said, "K-StartHub is a startup platform that promotes exchanges and collaboration among private innovation actors," adding, "It will serve as a key hub consolidating domestic and international startup ecosystems."