Minister Han Seong-sook of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on the 25th that the "Startup for All Project" will serve as a turning point to change Korea's startup ecosystem. The Minister also hinted that she would like former Chungju City Hall Assistant Deputy Director Kim Seon-tae, who was active as "Chungjuman," to take part in the Startup for All Project.
The Minister, speaking at the National Startup Era Strategy Meeting chaired by Koo Yun-cheol, the deputy prime minister for the economy, held an after-briefing after she released the "Startup for All Project implementation plan" and said, "We will build a startup platform that representative innovators of Korea will join."
The Startup for All Project is an open platform that allows participation with just an idea. A total of 5,000 people, from prospective founders to those restarting a business, will be selected to support early startup activities. It will then hold regional (500 people) and area (200 people) auditions and a nationwide competition. One hundred founders will be finally selected, receive investments of up to 1 billion won, and get support for overseas expansion.
The Minister emphasized that what sets this project apart from the past is that related ministries are working together in cooperation. The Minister said, "In the past, a specific ministry created a startup program and ministries moved accordingly, but now we are shaping the startup flow together within the framework of startup, growth, second chances, and social security." The Minister added, "Through the Startup for All Project, we will provide various resources to people with ideas and make it possible for them to take on challenges."
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS)'s startup support programs also appear set for change. Although it currently provides commercialization funds and mentoring tailored to stages such as prospective, early, and leap, restructuring is needed as the nature of these programs overlaps in part with the Startup for All Project.
The Minister said, "If the current work proceeds meaningfully, the budget will increase," adding, "If asked whether the prospective startup package will continue next year, I think it should be consolidated." The Minister further noted, "The early and leap stages also need to be redesigned, and we should quickly sort out how to handle overlapping parts."
The Startup for All Project also drew attention as Kim Seon-tae, known as "Chungjuman," appeared in its advertisement. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) on the 21st posted a video on its official YouTube channel titled "Former Chungjuman Kim Seon-tae starting a business too? Anyone can try with just an idea." In the video, Kim Seon-tae said, "Since I quit, a startup?"
To the question, "Is Kim Seon-tae also joining the project?" the Minister answered, "I heard he is considering it. It would be great if he does." The Minister added, "Mr. Kim understands public matters and, as an influencer, I think starting a business is a good model."
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) also held a project launch ceremony that afternoon at Dreamplus in Gangnam, Seoul. Kim Han-yi, CEO of Binu Labs, which operates "Everytime," Korea's largest campus life platform, and Yang Je-hyeon, CEO of the Jeju citrus food and beverage brand "Gyul Medal," took the stage to share their experiences.
CEO Kim began by saying, "There was a time when we had to cover server costs with part-time jobs, let alone pay salaries." CEO Kim continued, "We boldly invested the government startup support funds we received into marketing and secured 4 million users in 2019," adding, "Startup is a continuous fight for survival at every moment. The time alone is lonely, but I hope to show that the one who remains standing to the end is the strong one."