Han Seong-sook, Minister of SMEs and Startups, hosted the official launch ceremony of the APEC Startup Alliance (ASTAA) on May 20th, alongside delegations from the 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and key representatives from global startup ecosystems. ASTAA is a collaborative body established to connect startup ecosystems and expand cooperation among APEC member economies. Its launch was formalized last year during the APEC Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Ministerial Meeting with the announcement of the "Jeju Initiative." With this launch ceremony, a comprehensive cooperation framework bridging the public and private sectors of member economies is now fully operational. "I hope the innovation sparked within the interconnected startup ecosystems of the APEC Startup Alliance will pave the way for greater cooperation and shared growth," said Minister Han.