[2026-01-21]Startup Numbers Rise in 2023, but Revenue and Employment Decline

In 2023, the number of startups in Korea reached 4.902 million, marking a third consecutive year of growth, but both employment and revenue declined.
Tech-based and youth-led startups drove the increase, with 83.2% of founders leveraging prior work experience.
Despite broader startup activity, challenging business conditions and funding difficulties persist, while the government plans to boost support funding to KRW 3.5 trillion in 2026.

[2026-01-20]2023 Startup Trends in Korea: Growth in Young Entrepreneurs and Tech Sectors

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development released the 2023 Startup Survey results.
In 2023, there were 4.902 million startups, accounting for 59.1% of all SMEs, with 979,000 tech-based startups making up 20%.
Startups led by young entrepreneurs grew by 2.2%, and the government plans to increase the startup support budget to KRW 3.5 trillion by 2026.