Analysis by Rep. Koo Ja-keun's office of Ministry of Planning and Budget report

Four projects flagged for improvement, two for budget cuts, one for abolition or merger

Overlap with other agencies and weak performance metrics cited as key problems

Lawmaker calls for review of whether projects are meeting core IP goals

Korea Intellectual Property Office Commissioner Kim Yong-seon holds a pre-briefing at the Government Daejeon Complex on Aug. 31. [Korea Intellectual Property Office]
Korea Intellectual Property Office Commissioner Kim Yong-seon holds a pre-briefing at the Government Daejeon Complex on Aug. 31. [Korea Intellectual Property Office]

Not a single one of the seven government subsidy projects under the Korea Intellectual Property Office's jurisdiction received an "on track" rating in this year's official review, according to an analysis released Monday.

The office of Rep. Koo Ja-keun of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee, analyzed the Ministry of Planning and Budget's "2026 National Subsidy Project Extension Evaluation Report." The analysis found that all seven projects under the IP office were flagged — four for project improvement, two for budget reduction, and one for abolition or merger.

The ministry's national subsidy project extension evaluation assesses the validity and management of each project and classifies it as "on track," subject to budget reduction, in need of improvement, or slated for abolition or merger. National subsidy projects are programs through which the government allocates budget to external implementing bodies — including local governments and private organizations — to achieve policy goals.

The seven projects under review carried a combined budget of about 109.4 billion won ($81.3 million) this year, of which about 80.6 billion won was allocated as national subsidies.

Across the seven projects, the main problems identified were overlap with programs run by other agencies or ministries, and performance indicators that made it difficult to measure substantive outcomes.

The "IP Creation Support" subsidy project was found to overlap in part with programs run by other agencies in its support for small business owners seeking to create intellectual property. Evaluators also concluded that the current performance indicators were insufficient to capture the project's qualitative results. The "IP-Based Startup and Growth Support" project was similarly flagged for overlap — both with programs at other ministries and with projects within the IP office itself. Its consulting budget and quality-control methods were also found to need revision, leading to its inclusion among projects recommended for budget cuts.

For the "Invention Education Promotion" project, evaluators recommended transferring some activities to city and provincial education offices as their own programs and gradually reducing the central government's subsidy rate, alongside a cut to the project budget. In the case of "Strengthening IP Capabilities of Exporting Companies," the operation of overseas IP centers was found to partially overlap with the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency's "K-Brand Dispute Response Support" program. Evaluators concluded the two should be integrated to improve efficiency.

"The IP office has expanded its role and organization since its elevation in status, but the substance of its projects has yet to keep pace," Rep. Koo said. "Rather than simply expanding projects and budgets, the office must first examine whether its existing programs are actually delivering results in line with their original purpose — creating, protecting and utilizing intellectual property."

Rep. Koo Ja-keun of the People Power Party [Rep. Koo Ja-keun's office]
Rep. Koo Ja-keun of the People Power Party [Rep. Koo Ja-keun's office]

mp1256@heraldcorp.com