Pukyong National University Wins Both Grand Prize and Excellence Award at Startup Idea Competition

'Doyakmin' Team Wins Grand Prize
'Neulim' Team Receives Excellence Award

Students from Pukyong National University (President Bae Sanghoon) swept both the grand prize and the excellence award at the 3rd University Student Startup Idea Competition of the 2025 Youth Creative Development Center Dreamter Plus.

At this competition, the joint startup club 'Doyakmin' team?comprised of Jung Minyoung from the Department of Business Administration at Pukyong National University and Kim Minseo from the Department of Pre-Medicine at Gyeongsang National University, under the guidance of Professor Han Jaeho?won the grand prize with a cash award of 1 million KRW.

The team presented 'Hangukji,' a GPS-based mobile territory-capturing game designed to address the issue of regional extinction, as their startup idea. Their creative approach of combining gaming with local economic revitalization earned them the highest evaluation.

Their idea was recognized for introducing a gamification strategy that fosters coexistence with local communities by allowing players to earn coupons for local stores when they capture buildings in the game.

Before winning the grand prize, the 'Doyakmin' team had already been recognized as promising prospective entrepreneurs, having been selected as a 'preliminary tourism venture' in the 16th Preliminary Tourism Venture Business Recruitment for 2025 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization.

Additionally, at this competition, the 'Neulim' team?a startup club from the Department of Aquaculture Applied Life Science at Pukyong National University, guided by Professor Lee Seunghyung?won the excellence award with a cash prize of 600,000 KRW. This team developed 'Neulim,' a customized feed optimized for the dietary habits and nutritional status of semi-aquatic turtles and ornamental fish, and received the award for their innovation.

The team, consisting of Jeon Hyeoncheol, a doctoral student in Fisheries Biology; Park Sangmin, Moon Junhyeok, and Jeong Jinwoo from the Department of Aquaculture Applied Life Science; Kim Dohyeok from the Department of Fisheries Life Science; and graduate Jo Eunchae, collaborated to develop their own formula and complete a prototype feed. They plan to officially register their differentiated semi-aquatic turtle feed formula this year and actively pursue the sales process.

This university student startup competition was jointly hosted by Geumjeong-gu, Busan, the Youth Creative Development Center Dreamter, and Smart Farmer Co., Ltd., with the aim of solving social problems, discovering innovative startup business models, and expanding the base for entrepreneurship.