The largest-ever international hackathon was announced this Friday. The result of a partnership between the Seoul Metro Government and Global Hackathon, the event will take place in the South Korean capital next summer. According to the event’s organizers, a major goal of Global Hackathon Seoul is to promote an entrepreneurial environment within the country. “We have an opportunity to import the mindset and innovative trends of the best hackers from around the world,” KJ Yoo, Executive Director of Global Hackathon, told Benzinga.
Seoul boosts one of the most promising startup scenes in Asia. Over the last few months, its profile has been raised by several major funding rounds, including those of e-commerce site Coupang; Yello Mobile; 4:33 Creative Lab Game Studio; and food delivery app Baedal Minjok. Now the city’s government hopes to get more people interested in its startup industry by sponsoring Global Hackathon Seoul, which will take place from July 29 to August 1, 2015. According to the event’s organizers, this is the first time Seoul has sponsored a hackathon. KJ Yoo, the executive director of Global Hackathon Seoul, says that the event’s goal “is to have hackers build innovative products that will inspire local entrepreneurs to launch similar startups in Korea.” The event plans to have 2,000 hackers from around the world attend, with half from South Korea. If Global Hackathon Seoul surpasses its fundraising goals, Yoo says the event may be doubled in size.
