The South Korean government has announced the establishment of a 20 billion won “National Safety Industry Fund” to support early-stage companies in disaster safety and security sectors that utilize advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. The fund is jointly led by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the National Police Agency, with investments set to begin in the second half of 2026.
The fund will be divided equally, with 10 billion won allocated to both the disaster safety and security industries. The government will contribute a total of 10 billion won, with 5 billion won each from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the National Police Agency. The remaining 10 billion won will be raised from private and local government investments.
The investment funds will be used for technology and product development, marketing, certification and patent acquisition, and workforce recruitment to help companies attract further large-scale investments. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the National Police Agency are currently discussing operational details, including the selection of private fund managers and securing private investors, in collaboration with Korea Venture Investment.
The government plans to gradually expand the fund’s scale through discussions with fiscal authorities. Kim Yong-kyun, Director of the Safety Prevention Policy Division at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, “We hope the National Safety Industry Fund will serve as a foundation for the growth of companies protecting citizens’ lives and property, and we will continue policy support to ensure advanced safety technologies are implemented in the field.”