[Interview] Kang Seongcheon, Head of Gyeonggi Content Agency: "Gyeonggi Startup Summit Held for the First Time in Asia"

Kang Seong-cheon, President of the Gyeonggi-do Economic Science Promotion Agency, is talking about the 'Gyeonggi Startup Summit,' the first event of its kind in Asia, to be held at the end of this month.

The ‘Gyeonggi Startup Summit,’ aimed at supporting domestic startups in attracting investment and expanding globally, will be held for the first time in Asia at Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, at the end of September.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Economic Science Promotion Agency is partnering with Spain’s ‘South Summit’ to host an event from the 25th to the 27th of this month at the Suwon Convention Center and Pangyo Startup Campus in Gyeonggi Province, designed to help local startups attract global investment and enter overseas markets.

South Summit, which began in Spain in 2012, has recorded a cumulative investment amount of 13 trillion KRW and has produced more than seven unicorn companies, making it one of the world’s leading startup showcase platforms.

We spoke with Kang Seong-cheon, head of the Gyeonggi Provincial Economic Science Promotion Agency, about the expectations and significance of this international event.

- What is the significance of this event?

▲ Collaborating with Spain’s South Summit to hold a startup investment attraction and global expansion event is the first of its kind in Asia by Gyeonggi Province. This event was prepared as part of Gyeonggi Governor Kim Dong-yeon’s pledge upon taking office in 2022 to make Gyeonggi a startup paradise. We expect many startups that will drive South Korea’s economy to emerge through this event.

- How has the event preparation been carried out?

▲ We have been steadily preparing for the event since the beginning of this year. In particular, since April, we have held weekly video conferences with South Summit. We have high expectations for working with South Summit, a global player. South Summit is a world-leading platform institution that has discovered more than seven unicorn companies with over 1 trillion KRW in investment to date.

- Could you briefly introduce the venue?

▲ At the entrance, there is an ‘Open Innovation Zone,’ where domestic and international big tech companies such as NVIDIA, AWS, and Kakao Enterprise have set up booths. In the central venue, there is ‘The Next Big Thing Zone,’ featuring leading domestic and international AI and deep tech startups. On the left, the ‘Global Zone’ hosts startups from various countries including India, China, and Japan, welcoming visitors. Approximately 250 exhibition booths will be set up for this event.

- What outcomes are expected?

▲ This event has three main goals. First, we expect domestic startups to gain wide recognition in overseas markets such as Europe through this event, achieving tangible results in investment attraction and global market entry. Additionally, we will do our best to help the general public visiting the venue increase their understanding of startups, and for university students and young people dreaming of entrepreneurship to gain valuable experience for future challenges.