9 Ministries Boost Global Startup Acceleration

## K-Startups Ride 'Inter-Ministerial Alliance' to the World! Global Expansion Accelerated with Customized Support from 9 Ministries A powerful alliance has been launched to enable innovative Korean startups to enter the global stage. The 'Inter-Ministerial Launch Ceremony for Startup Overseas Expansion,' led by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) and uniting 9 ministries with a single purpose, was successfully held on the 24th at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, marking the dawn of a new era for the globalization of K-startups. Under the slogan 'Start Up, Together,' it was an occasion to declare the government's full commitment to support. Deputy Minister Kim Seong-seop of the MSS, along with officials from 9 ministries including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Korea Aerospace Administration, and Korean Intellectual Property Office, National Assembly member Kim Dong-ah of the Industry, Trade, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee, representatives from the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development (KISED) and lead organizations, and participating companies in the 2025 Global Accelerating Support Program, a total of about 200 key stakeholders attended, adding to the fervor. This launch ceremony holds significance beyond a mere event. This is because it embodies the government's firm commitment to consolidate capabilities towards a single goal, moving beyond the fragmented startup support previously conducted by individual ministries. At the event, the MSS shared past achievements and success stories in supporting startup overseas expansion, once again emphasizing the importance of inter-ministerial collaboration. In particular, detailed plans for inter-ministerial collaborative startup support programs such as the 'Global Accelerating Support Program' and 'Challenge! K-Startup' were introduced, raising expectations. The vivid experience shared by Kim Jin-seong, CEO of DeepSales, who successfully expanded overseas with last year's support, served as a practical motivation for the participating companies. The most impressive moment was a performance where flags containing the program details of each ministry were planted into a slogan box. This visually conveyed a strong message that the 9 ministries would closely collaborate towards the common vision of startups' global expansion. During the subsequent networking session, ministry officials, lead organizations, and participating companies freely communicated and shared business items and overseas expansion strategies, creating a venue for practical cooperation. This year's 'Global Accelerating Support Program' is truly innovative. The 9 ministries will combine their expertise in different industrial fields and global networks to provide unprecedented customized support to a total of 148 promising startups. In particular, the MSS plans to leverage the US market, which boasts abundant AI infrastructure and leads the global market, as a bridgehead for Korea to become an AI powerhouse, and will intensively dedicate its capabilities to the overseas expansion of domestic AI startups. Deputy Minister Kim Seong-seop of the MSS stated, "The 9 ministries will open new horizons for cooperation in supporting startups with a single heart and mind," and pledged, "We will consolidate the capabilities of each ministry and organically link our resources to become the most reliable partners for startups." This launch ceremony is a strong declaration that the government will fully support K-startups to become shining protagonists on the world stage, and it marks the first step in that execution.