'2nd Everyone's Startup' Surpasses 10,000 Applicants in Just 15 Days

Faster Pace than the First Everyone's Startup Project
Entrepreneurial Passion Spreads Nationwide

The entrepreneurship fever sparked by the '2nd Everyone's Startup Project,' aiming to discover a total of 10,000 innovative entrepreneurs, is spreading nationwide.

On September 3, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that applications for the 2nd Everyone's Startup Project surpassed 10,000 as of 10:00 AM that day. This milestone was achieved just 15 days after recruitment for challengers began on August 20.

This is a faster pace than the 1st Everyone's Startup Project, which reached 10,000 applicants in 25 days. The Ministry explained that the heightened enthusiasm demonstrates that the entrepreneurial passion for innovation among the public has further intensified.

Han Seongsuk, Minister of SMEs and Startups, attended the launch ceremony of the First Cohort of Everyone's Startup held at SVC Seoul in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 16th and took a commemorative photo with the selected participants. 2026.06.16 Photo by Yoon Dongjoo

In particular, this round of recruitment saw the entrepreneurial spirit spread to various regions, with the proportion of participants from outside the greater Seoul area notably increasing. Applicants from non-capital regions accounted for approximately 60% of the total, marking an increase of more than 15 percentage points compared to the same period in the first round.

The 10,000th applicant said they came up with their idea from the everyday challenge of not being able to locate their grandmother in a rural area. Motivated to help a diverse range of single-person households, including both young people and the elderly, they decided to apply for the Everyone's Startup initiative.

For the 2nd Everyone's Startup Project, the number of selected participants has been doubled compared to the first round, aiming to discover a total of 10,000 innovative entrepreneurs. Eligibility for already established entrepreneurs seeking to pivot industries has been expanded from 'within 3 years of operation' to 'within 7 years,' allowing more citizens to take on the challenge. More than 80% of those selected will be aspiring entrepreneurs, and to vitalize the regional startup ecosystem, more than 70% of the participants will be chosen from non-capital regions.

Cho Kyungwon, Director of Startup Policy at the Ministry, stated, "In response to the passionate enthusiasm shown by the public, we will further widen the gateway for challengers and strengthen our support to ensure their endeavors lead to real startups and growth." He added, "We will firmly establish the 'Everyone's Startup Project' as the launchpad for innovative talent entering the startup ecosystem."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.