Start Like Spring, Leap with Passion! Youth Startup Academy Launch Ceremony

On the 9th, at the main campus of the Ansan Youth Entrepreneurship Academy in Gyeonggi Province, the ‘2025 Youth Entrepreneurship Academy Inauguration Ceremony’ was successfully held amidst the vibrant energy of spring. This event, hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, ignited the passion of young entrepreneurs under the slogan "Start up! & Spring up!", embodying the dual meaning of a new beginning and a powerful leap. Celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, the Youth Entrepreneurship Academy (YEA) started at the Ansan Training Center in 2011 and has since expanded to 19 locations nationwide, establishing itself as the cradle of youth entrepreneurship in Korea. To date, it has produced an impressive 8,477 young entrepreneurs, including two unicorn companies like Toss and Zigbang, and five KOSDAQ-listed companies such as AutoN and Openknowl, proving its achievements. The inauguration ceremony venue, bustling with over 500 young entrepreneurs, was filled with vibrant energy, a mix of excitement, tension, and ambition. They embraced the moment of taking their first step into a new challenge, determined to turn innovative ideas into reality. YEA systematically supports all stages of entrepreneurship for their successful journey, offering up to 100 million won in commercialization funds, as well as technical training, expert mentoring, networking, provision of startup spaces, and investment attraction linkage. The highlight of the day's event was the success pledge declaration read jointly by representatives of new students from the 19 YEAs nationwide. It was a moment that showcased a strong will towards entrepreneurial success. Following this, a meaningful exchange event took place where the principals of each YEA exchanged badges, pledging to become reliable 'pacemakers' for the new students and to lead them on a successful entrepreneurial journey. A total of 850 young entrepreneurs joined YEA in 2025. Considering balanced regional development, 340 individuals were assigned to the four YEAs in the Seoul metropolitan area (Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon), and 510 to the 14 YEAs outside the metropolitan area. Notably, Gyeonggi Province received the highest number of new students with 190, followed by Seoul with 115. Lim Jung-wook, Head of the Startup and Venture Innovation Office, emphasized, "The Youth Entrepreneurship Academy is a representative youth startup policy in Korea, and over the past five years, its graduate companies have achieved remarkable results, with sales reaching 7 trillion won and creating over 14,000 jobs." He also stated that the government would actively support young entrepreneurs in securing competitiveness and successfully establishing themselves in domestic and international markets by strengthening global expansion, attracting private investment, and linking with key regional industries. He urged young entrepreneurs not to cease innovation, calling them the 'engines' driving the Republic of Korea, and conveyed a strong message of encouragement. The brilliant achievements of YEA graduate companies are proven by numbers. Five KOSDAQ-listed companies (BURNECT, AutoN, Green Resource, Openknowl, S.O.S LAB), three KONEX-listed companies (Node Mason, Miju, Oceans Bio), four prospective unicorns (Healcerion, Banksalad, Healing Paper, Torder), and 19 'baby unicorns' (including BURNECT, NextOn, QSTech) have emerged, invigorating the Korean startup ecosystem. Even after the main event concluded, the enthusiasm at the venue remained high. The K-Unicorn Demo Day was held, along with consulting booths for interaction with professional accelerators and global companies, product showrooms for new and graduate companies, and a session to hear success stories from senior entrepreneurs who graduated from YEA, providing practical inspiration and information to future entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, the Global Startup Academy (GSA), established in 2020, focuses on fostering next-generation global unicorns by providing customized support to companies within seven years of establishment, from preparing for global expansion to local settlement. This year, a total of 60 companies were selected, including 35 for expansion into the United States and 25 for expansion into Singapore and Vietnam, and they will receive up to 150 million won in commercialization funds. This comprehensive support from YEA and the Global Startup Academy is becoming an important foundation for the healthy development of Korea's startup ecosystem. It is possible that someone present here today might cultivate a new unicorn company that will lead the Korean economy in a few years. We hope that the entrepreneurial fervor of young people, like the spring breeze of May, will sprout new growth in the Korean economy.