Han Sung-sook, then serving as minister of SMEs and Startups, speaks at the 2026 Modoo's Startup Campus Tour Talk Concert held at Chung-Ang University in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on May 13. [Ministry of SMEs and Startups]
Han Sung-sook, then serving as minister of SMEs and Startups, speaks at the 2026 Modoo's Startup Campus Tour Talk Concert held at Chung-Ang University in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on May 13. [Ministry of SMEs and Startups]

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups has launched a nationwide tour of field consultations to assess operations of its "Modoo's Startup" program and hear directly from participants — about 20 days after a personal data breach on June 18.

The ministry said Wednesday it held a field consultation at the North Chungcheong Creative Economy Innovation Center, bringing together operating and mentoring institutions from the Chungcheong region — North Chungcheong, South Chungcheong, Daejeon and Sejong — along with entrepreneurs selected in the program's first round.

The session is part of a nationwide field communication program running through all 17 cities and provinces from June 29 to July 16. The tour was organized to meet directly with operating institutions, mentoring organizations and entrepreneurs, review project progress and gather suggestions for program improvements.

The first half of the consultation focused on sharing each institution's mentoring progress and future plans, with the ministry briefing participants on first-round evaluation results and second-round preparations. Attendees then freely discussed difficulties encountered during program operations and offered suggestions for improvement.

In the second half, first-round selectees shared their experiences with the program and highlighted areas they felt needed improvement. The ministry said it plans to actively incorporate the entrepreneurs' feedback into future program operations.

Deputy Minister Noh Yong-seok urged operating and mentoring institutions to step up their support. "For first-round selectees to refine their ideas and grow into competitive startups, the expertise and hands-on support of mentoring institutions are paramount," he said. "Please be a reliable guide in the field so that entrepreneurs' potential can translate into success."

Addressing the entrepreneurs, Noh said, "Being selected in the first round is not the end — it is the starting point for greater growth," adding that the ministry would "support you all the way as you grow into a startup alongside operating and mentoring institutions."

Through the nationwide tour, the ministry said it will continue collecting feedback from regional operators and entrepreneurs and use it to refine the program. The ministry aims to incorporate field voices into policy and develop Modoo's Startup into a startup support platform that the public can trust.

Modoo's Startup is a nationwide startup talent show introduced for the first time this year. The program selects aspiring entrepreneurs in general technology and local business categories, then puts them through mentoring and a series of elimination rounds to determine a final winner. The initiative hit a snag last month, however, when the email addresses, idea summaries and judges' comments of 5,000 first-round passers were exposed through the program's website. The ministry has referred the case to police for investigation and is cooperating with a probe by the Personal Information Protection Commission.


boo@heraldcorp.com