The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Minister Oh Young-joo, hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of SMEs and Startups) announced on the 9th that it held the 2025 Youth Entrepreneurship Officers' Academy Startup Commencement Ceremony at the Youth Entrepreneurship Officers' Academy main campus (Ansan, Gyeonggi Province).
The Youth Entrepreneurship Academy (hereafter referred to as the Youth Entrepreneurship Academy) is fostering future entrepreneurial leaders by systematically supporting the entire process required for entrepreneurship, including financial support, technical education, expert mentoring, and networking to help solve various difficulties that young entrepreneurs may encounter.
It was first established in 2011 at the Ansan Training Center of the Small and Medium Business Administration, and has since expanded continuously, with 19 locations currently operating across the country.
Over the past 14 years, we have discovered and nurtured a total of 8,477 young entrepreneurs, and have produced excellent results, including the creation of five KOSDAQ-listed companies (Autoen Co., Ltd., Open Nol Co., Ltd., etc.) and two unicorn companies (Toss, Jigbang).
The inauguration ceremony on this day was held under the theme of “Start up! & Spring up!” to symbolize a new leap forward in the 15th anniversary of the founding of Cheongchangsa Temple, and included reading of a declaration by a representative of the incoming students, awarding of pacemaker badges, and an inauguration performance.
At this initiation ceremony, 19 new students representing Cheongchangsa across the country read a declaration together expressing their firm will to succeed in starting a business, and pledged their determination for a new start.
Next, each school principal was designated as the 'pacemaker' for the new students, and a meaningful exchange event was held where they exchanged badges with each other under the pledge to run together and lead a successful entrepreneurial journey.
Meanwhile, various side events were prepared for young entrepreneurs who attended the inauguration ceremony that day. A consulting booth was set up where they could interact with professional accelerators and global companies, and a showroom was set up where they could promote products from new and graduated companies. In addition, there was time to invite senior entrepreneurs who graduated from the Youth Entrepreneurship Academy and listen to their success stories.
Lim Jeong-wook, the Director of the Startup and Venture Innovation Office, said, “The Youth Entrepreneurship Officers’ Academy is our country’s representative youth entrepreneurship policy. Over the past five years, the graduating companies have achieved remarkable results, generating sales of 7 trillion won and creating over 14,000 jobs.” He added, “The government will actively support young entrepreneurs to establish a practical growth foundation and secure competitiveness in domestic and international markets by strengthening global expansion, attracting private investment, and linking up with key regional industries through the Youth Entrepreneurship Officers’ Academy.”
He also emphasized to the young entrepreneurs attending the event that “each and every one of you is the engine that moves the entrepreneurial nation of the Republic of Korea,” and urged them to grow into entrepreneurs who lead innovation without stopping their challenges.
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