Attorney Hoseok Jung of SEUM Law (hereinafter 'SEUM') participated as a moderator in the "Death Debate: Founder vs. Investor" program within the Future Talk section of 'COMEUP 2023' on November 8, 2023, held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP).

'COMEUP' is the largest startup event in South Korea, organized by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Korea Startup Forum, and the Startup Promotion Agency. The event aims to expand the startup ecosystem in Korea by facilitating the international expansion of domestic startups and the entry of foreign startups into the Korean market. It is held annually to operate diverse programs for startups, fostering global exchange and collaboration to strengthen ties with the worldwide startup community.

In 2023, 'COMEUP' saw significant changes aimed at fostering borderless entrepreneurial support and building a global startup ecosystem network. A large delegation from Saudi Arabia and the UAE (United Arab Emirates) visited the event, and a new 'Global Community Zone' was established for approximately 100 foreign startups, creating new opportunities and avenues for collaboration.

The conference session, Future Talk, was structured around topics related to the growth stages of startups, such as 'Dream Big, Are You Really Going to Start a Business?' and 'Global Expansion, The Misconceptions and Truth.' Among them, the program "Death Debate: Founder vs. Investor" featured panelists including Lee Jin, the CEO of the legal tech startup 'Elbox Inc.,' and Ha Youngsoo, Executive Director of the private equity fund management company 'Crossroads Partners Inc.' Each represented the perspectives of entrepreneurs and investors, with Attorney Hoseok Ju ng from SEUM serving as the moderator, facilitating a smooth discussion by summarizing each viewpoint and clarifying differences.

In the "Death Debate: Founder vs. Investor," the program delved into the challenging clauses in investment contracts from the perspectives of both founders and investors. It explored considerations when choosing an investor and allowed representation of the entrepreneur's viewpoint, fostering a deeper understanding of investors.

Attorney Hoseok Jung, especially, explained the 'Investor Consent Clause' in a way that the audience could easily comprehend and highlighted the differences in perspectives among the panelists. Drawing from extensive experience in startup investment advisory, he emphasized the diverse nature of such clauses, cautioning entrepreneurs to be attentive to avoid issues such as operating their businesses too passively or inadvertently violating contractual agreements.

Furthermore, the discussion covered practical differences in the acceptance of causes related to joint and several liability for founders, and explored how entrepreneurs and investors choose good investment partners. The lively discussion attracted significant interest and engagement from the audience.