Signing of Agreements to Invigorate the Southeastern Venture Ecosystem
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups is continuing its on-site communication efforts to invigorate the venture ecosystem and support business growth in the southeastern region.
On February 27, the Ministry announced that it would be conducting a series of activities in Busan, including: a productive financial agreement ceremony for the Southeastern Venture Fund and the activation of the regional venture ecosystem; a briefing session on southeastern venture policies and investments; and on-site inspections of policy implementation.
Minister Han Jungsook of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups is delivering the opening speech at the Venture Future Forum held at COEX, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on December 11, 2025. Photo by Dongju Yoon
Busan Bank, Kyongnam Bank, Korea Venture Investment Corp., and Korea Technology Finance Corporation signed a productive financial business agreement (MOU) at Busan Bank headquarters to foster the Southeastern Venture Fund and vitalize the regional venture ecosystem. Through this agreement, the four organizations will closely cooperate to provide win-win financial support for southeastern venture companies, revitalize the regional venture ecosystem, and jointly establish and operate the Southeastern Venture Fund.
Minister Hansung-sook stated, “This cooperation is significant as it represents a collaborative model in which leading local financial institutions and policy finance agencies systematically support local ventures and startups. We will continue to strengthen our partnerships with regional financial institutions and expand investment and financial support for local venture companies.”
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will also hold a Southeastern Venture Capital Roundtable and a joint “Southeastern Venture Policy and Investment Briefing” with related organizations at the Busan Center for Creative Economy and Innovation. At the roundtable, they will discuss the direction of venture investment development in the southeastern region with asset managers active in both the Seoul metropolitan area and the southeast, such as KB Investment, Enlight Ventures, and BNK Venture Investment.
This briefing session, held as part of a regional tour of venture policy and investment briefings, will be broadcast live on the Ministry’s YouTube channel as part of an “open and live administration” initiative, allowing anyone in the public to access the policies. The next sessions will be held in the Southwest region on March 4, in Jeju on March 10, and in Gangwon on March 12.
Participating organizations will introduce their respective venture support programs at the briefing, and provide one-on-one consulting sessions for participating companies. In addition, to support southeastern venture companies in attracting investment from leading metropolitan area venture capitalists, a one-on-one investment consultation session will be held with ten venture capital firms, including Now IB Capital and Intervest.
Minister Hansung-sook remarked, “The southeastern venture ecosystem has immense potential to grow into another pillar of Korea’s venture ecosystem alongside the Seoul metropolitan area. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will listen closely to voices on the ground and develop region-specific policies so that every non-metropolitan region can realize its own growth potential.”
On this day, Minister Han also visited the headquarters of Korea Technology Finance Corporation, which oversees the disbursement of policy funds, as well as the exclusive Busan training center of the Small Enterprise and Market Service, to inspect the status of policy fund support and listen to on-site feedback and difficulties from practical staff members.
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