The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Minister Han Sung-sook) announced on the 19th that it has allocated a total budget of KRW 3.4645 trillion for the 2026 central government and local government startup support projects. This announcement includes 508 startup support projects across 111 organizations, representing a KRW 170.5 billion (5.2%) increase compared to the previous year (KRW 3.294 trillion).
By project type, loan projects accounted for the largest portion, at KRW 1.4245 trillion, or 41.1% of the total, followed by technology development at KRW 864.8 billion and commercialization at KRW 815.1 billion. These three project types account for 89.6% of the total budget.
By agency, 15 central government ministries were allocated 3.274 trillion won for 88 projects. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups received the largest share (93.9%) at 3.0734 trillion won, followed by the Ministry of Science and ICT (84.6 billion won), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (40 billion won), and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (31.7 billion won). The Financial Services Commission and the Korea Forest Service will participate for the first time starting in 2026, respectively, promoting startup guarantee programs and youth forestry entrepreneurship support programs. Local governments will operate 420 projects totaling 190.5 billion won across 17 metropolitan cities, including Seoul, South Gyeongsang Province, and Gyeonggi Province, and 79 basic local governments.
Key support projects include the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' "Startup Growth Technology Development" project, worth KRW 786.4 billion, and the Ministry of Science and ICT's "Public Technology-Based Startup Exploration Support" project, worth KRW 32.6 billion, in the technology development sector. In the commercialization sector, the government supports startup growth and overseas expansion through the Preliminary, Early, and Leap Package projects and the Ultra-Gap Startup Project. The budget for supporting youth entrepreneurship reached KRW 257.5 billion, an increase of KRW 80.1 billion from the previous year.
Along with this integrated announcement, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups will revise the "Startup Support Project Management Guidelines." These improvements include expanding startups' funding flexibility, providing support for intellectual property rights costs, and providing insurance coverage for technology infringement lawsuits. The ban on participation in misconduct will be extended from three to five years, and the management system for equipment built with government subsidies will be strengthened.
Kyung-won Cho, Director of Startup Policy, said, “We hope that the integrated announcement project will help startups grow, create jobs, and contribute to the national economy,” and added, “We will establish a foundation for competitive corporate growth by streamlining regulations and eradicating misconduct.”
Detailed business information can be found on the K-Startup Portal and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups website .
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