Best startup cities in South Korea in 2027

5 cities in South Korea make our ranking of 1,000 startup cities worldwide. Seoul leads at #23 with a total score of 16.68, followed by Busan (#162) and Daejeon (#557).

For women founders, Gwangju scores highest in South Korea on the MeanCEO Index with 67/100. Each city page covers funding, company registration, taxes, founder visas, pros and cons, and the ten MeanCEO factors.

Startup cities in South Korea, ranked

#	City	World rank	Total	Quantity	Quality	Business	MeanCEO
1	Seoul	#23	16.68	1.6	11.83	3.24	60
2	Busan	#162	3.38	0.05	0.75	2.58	65
3	Daejeon	#557	0.31	0.02	0.05	0.24	57
4	Gwangju	#755	0.19	0.01	0.03	0.14	67
5	Incheon	#840	0.16	0.02	0.02	0.12	67

Total = quantity (startups, accelerators, coworking spaces) + quality (traction of top startups, unicorns, exits) + business environment (national conditions), from the StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Index (2024 edition). The MeanCEO Index (0 to 100) is our own score of how livable and welcoming a city is for women founders.

Other countries in Asia and Oceania

All countries · All 1,000 cities, ranked