How personal experiences, hardships drove five expats to launch startups in Korea

Living in a foreign country is rarely easy, especially when the language and culture are unfamiliar. Yet for some international residents in Korea, those very challenges have become the foundation of a business.

For Ravi Shankar Pandit, founder and CEO of Konnect, a search engine designed to help foreigners access information in Korea, the idea grew directly from his own experience navigating daily life after moving here.

“I came here to really just study my master's degree,” Pandit said during an interview at the Global Startup Center (GSC) in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on May 29. “I had no plans of actually staying longer in Korea or starting a company here.”

The GSC, operated by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, provides office space, networking opportunities, mentoring programs and consulting services for foreign entrepreneurs.

While every founder's journey is different, a common pattern was traced among five entrepreneurs interviewed by the Korea JoongAng Daily. Many built businesses inspired by the very obstacles, opportunities and insights they encountered while building a life in Korea.

From struggling newcomer to information platform founder — Ravi Shankar Pandit, founder and CEO of Konnect

Pandit launched Konnect after experiencing firsthand how difficult it can be for foreigners to access information and services in Korea.

He envisions the platform as a combination of Google and ChatGPT tailored for expats and short-term visitors. The service aims to bridge gaps between foreign users and Korean platforms by reducing reliance on Korean phone numbers and domestic credit cards.

Pandit won the 2025 K-Startup Grand Challenge (KSGC) in December last year and launched the company two years ago. He currently operates under a startup visa.

Turning a decade-long visa journey into a recruitment startup — Casimir Agossou, founder of Acafo

Casimir Agossou founded Acafo after spending more than a decade navigating life and work in Korea. The AI-powered employment platform connects global talent with Korean companies. During his 12 years in Korea, Agossou completed both his master's and doctoral degrees while transitioning through multiple visa categories. He first entered Korea on a D-4 language training visa before moving to a D-2 student visa, a D-10 job-seeker visa, an E-6 entertainment visa and eventually a D-8-4 entrepreneurship visa.

From scholarship student to marketing entrepreneur — Titha Monika, CEO of Edge Global Creative

Titha Monika's entrepreneurial journey began after she developed a following as a social media influencer while studying in Korea through the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) program.

Through that experience, she learned the mechanics of digital marketing and online branding before establishing Edge Global Creative, a digital marketing company.

Like many foreign founders, she completed the Overall Assistance for Start-up Immigration System (Oasis) program. She credited the GSC with helping her transition into entrepreneurship after discovering the organization through recommendations from the Indonesian community in Korea.

Staying after a startup competition ended — Alican Yildizalp, CEO of Miriel AI

Alican Yildizalp first came to Korea in 2023 through the KSGC, the government's flagship startup program for foreign founders.

Miriel AI, his third company in Korea, provides AI-powered nutrition guidance for children between 6 months and 12 years old.

The platform helps parents monitor nutritional intake, allergies and developmental needs.

After participating in the competition, Yildizalp chose to remain in Korea after receiving visa support and government funding. He also found Korea an attractive place to live and build a business.

Building a virtual influencer, then leaving Korea behind — Vittoria Ventura, co-founder of VHP

Vittoria Ventura co-founded Virtual Human Power,  VHP, the company behind Theo, a virtual influencer with Korean and Brazilian heritage.

She came to Korea through the GKS program to study art and technology at Sogang University. Together with four colleagues, she developed Theo and secured collaborations with organizations including the Seoul Tourism Organization.

Despite the company's early momentum, Ventura eventually left Korea after facing difficulties continuing the venture due to visa restrictions and her status as a foreign student. The company was never formally incorporated. She is currently working in Dubai for an international conglomerate.

Navigating Korea's visa maze

Most of the entrepreneurs interviewed said Korea's visa system remains one of the biggest obstacles to building a business, citing both complex procedures and a lack of transparency.

“Every year, I have to think about how to renew my visa,” Agossou said. “If my visa is not renewed, it means business is finished and I cannot stay in Korea. So I would often spend more time thinking about how to renew my visa than doing the actual business.”

Under current Ministry of Justice guidelines, foreign entrepreneurs seeking a D-8-4 startup visa must navigate the Oasis program, a point-based system in which applicants earn points through intellectual property registration, company incorporation and entrepreneurship education.

While top performers in government programs such as the KSGC may receive exemptions from portions of the process, international students already residing in Korea often face stricter limitations.

For students hoping to launch businesses during their studies, those restrictions can become particularly difficult.

Ventura, who received a government prestartup grant package, ultimately had to forfeit the funding because she could not officially register the company while on a student visa.

“I had to stay with the student visa since I was a GKS student,” she said. “We tried talking to them back and forth but unfortunately had to send a very sad email saying we forfeit the grant.”

Several founders argued that startup founders should be evaluated differently from traditional businesses when it comes to visa renewals.

Revenue generation is often a key criterion.

“Typically, deep tech companies take a longer time to generate revenue,” Pandit said, recalling how immigration officials questioned the fact that his company had not yet generated revenue.

He said he provided documentation showing that the company was active and had secured multiple grants, but officials still viewed the lack of revenue as a concern.

“I then asked for how much revenue I would need but never got an answer,” he said.

“If they tell me what the clear limits are, we'll try to do it.”

When speaking Korean still isn't enough

Unsurprisingly, every entrepreneur interviewed identified language as one of the biggest barriers to doing business in Korea.

Yildizalp recalled losing a potential million-dollar business deal because he could not communicate directly with the CEO of a Korean company.

"We were only talking with translators," he said. "If I could speak Korean on my own, I think I would get that money."

Yet even founders who speak the local language said the challenge extends beyond fluency.

Agossou, who speaks Korean, said fluency alone is often not enough.

"When it comes to business partners, people still tell me it would be better to have a Korean," he said.

Business-level fluency, interviewees noted, differs significantly from everyday conversation. Several founders said that while language skills help open doors, cultural understanding remains equally important for building long-term business relationships.

Monika said she often relies on what she described as her "broken Korean" during meetings because many executives she encounters do not speak English.

“It's important to speak Korean for startup founders, I believe, since it would open a lot of opportunities — talking to more companies and doing more networking,” she said.

Why they choose to stay

Despite the hurdles, most founders said they still see long-term opportunities in Korea.

“Korea is a very difficult market, especially for entrepreneurs, but that also gives us the unique opportunity to learn about doing business in a very different culture and country that teaches a lot of lessons we cannot get in another country,” Yildizalp said.

“I got the visa and support from the government, and I enjoyed Korea in general for living.”

For Monika, whose business focuses on beauty and marketing, Korea's position in the industry makes the country a natural place to build a company.

“The center of beauty is in Seoul, especially in Gangnam and Myeongdong, so it's really important to start my business here,” she said.

Ventura also spoke about the lasting impact Korea had on her life despite her eventual departure.

“Startups rely a lot on momentum, the right timing and having the right people,” she said. “If the system had been a bit more accommodating to the circumstances we faced, maybe we could still be working at VHP.”

“A lot of my traits or perceptions in life were built here, so I carry Korea with me,” she added.

For Agossou, going elsewhere to run his business is not an option.

“I started the company from a personal problem, a problem that I faced here in Korea,” Agossou said. “It’s the most natural thing for me to have this company here.”

BY CHO JUNG-WOO   [[email protected]]