○ Building global competency through hands-on experience at companies in 12 cities across 12 countries including Japan, United Kingdom, Canada, and China
○ Supporting young people as they explore career paths through overseas field experience, practical language training, mentoring, and related programs

Gyeonggi Province marked the start of the “2026 Gyeonggi Youth Overseas Employment and Entrepreneurship Opportunity Expansion Project (Gyeongcheong Stars)” on May 28 with a ceremony at the Gwanggyo Hall of the Gyeonggido Business & Science Accelerator.

As Gyeonggi Province’s flagship global program for young people, the Gyeongcheong Stars project helps participants build employment and entrepreneurship competency through firsthand experience at overseas industrial sites. A total of 624 applicants applied this year for an average competition rate of 6.2:1, with 100 participants selected.

This year’s destinations span 12 cities in 12 countries: Japan (Tokyo), United Kingdom (London), Canada (Toronto), Singapore, Poland (Warsaw), Türkiye (Istanbul), Indonesia (Jakarta), India (Bengaluru), Uzbekistan (Tashkent), China (Chongqing), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), and Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek).

The 100 young participants selected will take part in a 4-week program tailored to each destination. Activities include practical training in local languages, mentoring, job training, trade marketing practice at Korean companies abroad, and participation in overseas exhibitions.

The opening ceremony saw participants taking part in “Between the Stars,” a talk program featuring young people who joined the project last year. They shared firsthand experiences, preparation tips, and other practical insights. The event also included “Star Golden Bell” with Vice Governor for Economy An Jeong-gon, open-question mentoring, sentence-completion games, and other activities designed to encourage open conversation.

The venue even included a kiosk where participants could create luggage stickers featuring their own faces, a DIY name-tag zone, a photo zone, and a message-wall lounge. The spaces helped promote the project while giving participants a stronger sense of belonging.

“As young people continue to face a difficult employment environment, I hope this project becomes more than a simple overseas experience. May each participant discover new possibilities and future career paths,” Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor for Economy An Jeong-gon said at the opening ceremony. According to him, Gyeonggi Province will continue supporting young people actively as they take on global challenges and expanding opportunities for them to grow in global markets.

After the ceremony, Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggido Business & Science Accelerator will hold a three-day preliminary training program covering overseas safety rules, global business etiquette, and related topics. Full overseas experience programs are scheduled to begin on June 29 in line with each destination’s schedule.

Last year, 198 young people spent 4 weeks gaining hands-on experience at companies in 14 cities across 13 countries. The first round ran from July to August with 100 participants, followed by a second round in November with 98 participants.