▲ President Yoon Suk Yeol makes remarks at a luncheon with a group of entrepreneurs at the presidential office in Seoul on Feb. 2, 2023. (Yonhap)

Yoon-entrepreneurs

Yoon pledges support for innovative startups

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday met with a group of entrepreneurs who won awards at last month's Consumer Electronics Show and promised to support the growth of innovative startups.

The luncheon was held at the presidential office with the attendance of 44 entrepreneurs in the science, technology and digital fields, all of whom won Innovation Awards at the CES in Las Vegas.

Of them, five won Best of Innovation awards, including for Dot Pad, a device that uses artificial intelligence to convert photographs and videos into braille for the visually impaired.

"Advanced science and technology and digital-based innovations will determine not only our national competitiveness but our future survival," Yoon said. "The government will provide support so that a large number of world-class unicorns can emerge from innovative startups in the science, technology and digital fields."

Unicorns are privately held startup companies that are valued at over US$1 billion.

"We will support their global expansion and do our best to attract talented people and create an investment ecosystem," he added.

The luncheon was the latest in a series of events Yoon has participated in to promote the growth of the country's science and technology sectors.

On Wednesday, he visited Kumoh National Institute of Technology and the headquarters of SK siltron, a manufacturer of silicon wafers for semiconductors, both located in Gumi, 202 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

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