A Century of Change in Just a Few Years

컴업 2025: 에이전틱 AI, 미래를 '행동화'하다 – 정부와 스타트업, 협력으로 재탄생할 혁신 On the COEX stage, AI heralded the sixth stage of human information technology. Beyond oral tradition, writing, printing, the internet, and generative AI, the era of 'agentic AI' now begins. Liner CEO Kim Jin-woo defined this stage as 'activation' and announced the opening of COMEUP 2025. It's an era where, beyond merely searching for information and generating knowledge, AI will deliberate, make decisions, and execute alongside us. He asserted that "the changes over the next few years will be far greater than those of the last 100 years," emphasizing that the main protagonists of this upheaval are "startups, which have always transformed everyday life with technology." However, the path to innovation is not easy. Minister Han Sung-sook of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, taking the baton, delivered a sober diagnosis of the reality, stating that "this is a period of much greater upheaval than when internet platforms were first created and mobile technology changed the world." In a hyper-competitive environment where hardware, software, and even manufacturing sites are connected, Korean companies must directly contend with global giants. Even for startups with infinite potential, this is "too arduous a battle." The solution presented by the Minister was clear. "Innovation cannot be achieved alone." She emphasized that only organic 'collaboration' among startups, investors, global enterprises, and large and medium-sized companies can create opportunities in this intensified competition. This is why the South Korean startup ecosystem, celebrating 30 years since the establishment of the Korea Venture Business Association, 20 years since the launch of the Korea Fund of Funds, and COMEUP's 7th anniversary, now stands at a new turning point. The role of the government is also redefined. The Minister conveyed the requests of entrepreneurs, pledging that the government would faithfully fulfill its role as a steadfast supporter, becoming the "first point of contact" for startups and actively providing support and encouragement. Like COMEUP 2025's slogan 'Recode the Future,' at this moment of rewriting the future. Amidst the wave of agentic AI heralding the activation of information, it is only when we move forward 'not alone but together,' building upon the capabilities of the venture ecosystem accumulated over the past 30 years, that we will truly blossom and bear fruit, leading global innovation. The change has already begun.