[DigitalToday reporter Seul-gi Son] Kwon Dae-young (권대영), vice chairman of the Financial Services Commission, said, "We are considering startups as the National Growth Fund's next investment destination."

Kwon made the remarks when he met reporters after delivering opening congratulatory remarks at NextRise Seoul 2026, Asia's largest startup fair hosted by the Korea Development Bank and the Korea International Trade Association at COEX on June 18.

Asked whether the government would review investments in companies participating at the event, Kwon said, "Of course," adding, "They are targets of the National Growth Fund."

Now in its eighth year, NextRise Seoul runs for 2 days through June 19. About 1,700 startups and about 300 large and mid-sized companies and venture capital firms from South Korea and abroad are taking part. OpenAI and Palantir are participating for the first time this year. Existing partner companies including Google, Nvidia, Anthropic and Perplexity are also present.

In his remarks, he said 150 trillion won from the National Growth Fund would be invested in advanced strategic industries. He said he would ensure that no one is unable to start a startup because they lack money. The National Growth Fund is a policy fund that will inject a total of 150 trillion won into advanced strategic industries and their value chains over the next 5 years, including 75 trillion won from the Advanced Strategic Industries Fund and 75 trillion won from private-sector, pension and financial funds.

Kwon said he would bring inefficient capital tied up in real estate into the financial investment market. He also urged overseas institutional investors attending the event to take interest in the KOSDAQ market.

He then said he would actively support startup growth from the perspective of national strategic technology development. He said that amid a war for technological hegemony, the pattern is that large-scale financial injections that can be responsible for South Korea's future security enhance market dominance.

He also said he would strengthen investment in innovative technologies tied to the national economy and industrial security through the financialisation of technology. He said he hopes they will have growth opportunities at home and abroad.

Han Jae-kwon (한재권), chief technology officer of Arobot, who attended the opening ceremony, said, "It is not yet of a scale for the National Growth Fund to be injected," but added, "It will not be only this year when there is an opportunity."