Asan Nanum Foundation is accepting applications for the 2026 batch of "Asan Sanghoe" until March 31, a program supporting entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds including North Korean defectors, immigrants, and foreigners.
Asan Sanghoe is an inclusive incubating program that helps aspiring or early-stage entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds build sustainable businesses in the Korean market. The program aims to support entrepreneurs' independence and growth while expanding diversity in the startup ecosystem by providing initial business funding, entrepreneurship education, and investment connections.
Eligible applicants include teams of two or more people in the pre-startup or early-stage phase (within five years of founding), where the representative is a North Korean defector, immigrant, or foreigner. This year, the foundation has relaxed eligibility requirements to include foreigners who hold or plan to obtain entrepreneur visas.
The program will select 10 teams for approximately seven months of intensive incubation. Selected teams will receive up to 8 million won in initial business funding, startup lectures, leadership coaching, and mentoring programs designed to systematically strengthen business execution capabilities. The incubation operates on an "action sprint" format, with goals set and progress reviewed every two weeks over 14 weeks. Teams then receive coaching tailored to their growth stage based on performance.
Three teams that pass separate screening will have the opportunity to advance to this year's Chung Ju-yung Startup Competition. They can pitch their businesses to investors and partners in the startup ecosystem. Winners of the grand prize, excellence award, and outstanding award will share total prize money of 60 million won.
Participants can also access workspace infrastructure, partnership benefits, mentoring, and community resources through membership at MARU, an entrepreneurship platform operated by Asan Nanum Foundation. Through corporate partnerships worth approximately 1.3 billion won annually, early-stage startups can use services including cloud and AI, development, recruitment, marketing, and employee benefits for free or at discounted rates. Teams can pursue business growth and collaboration opportunities through one-on-one mentoring with over 90 industry experts and veteran entrepreneurs, an IR matching platform connecting startups with investment opportunities, and a network of more than 500 startups.
Applications can be submitted on the Asan Sanghoe recruitment website until March 31. Final selections will be announced on April 20 following document and interview screening.
"We have strengthened this year's Asan Sanghoe incubating program to help entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds turn their unique experiences into competitive advantages and open new possibilities in the Korean market," said Park Sung-jong, head of the Social Innovation Team at Asan Nanum Foundation. "We hope to receive many applications from North Korean defectors, immigrants, and foreign entrepreneurs starting businesses in Korea."