Gyeongcheong Stars is a program designed to offer young people in the province hands-on experience at overseas companies and opportunities for career exploration. In 2025, a total of 200 participants took part across 14 cities in 13 countries. Participants engaged in practical language training, on-site internships, mentoring, and visits to overseas exhibitions in countries including the United States, Japan, India, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Germany, and Canada. The program recorded an average competition rate of 4.9 to 1.

Five outstanding participants who were active in Uzbekistan presented the results of their analysis of the local convenience store market. They proposed the concept of a “K-culture experience convenience store,” which would introduce Korean-style convenience stores while incorporating localized food options. Targeting K-pop and K-wave fans, middle-class office workers, and university students and young adults, the concept envisions a space where customers can enjoy simple Korean meals such as gimbap and bulgogi rice bowls while also experiencing Korean culture-related products, thus offering a strong competitive edge in the market.

An outstanding participant from Taiwan shared that the program helped clarify the goal of becoming a global marketer. Through meetings with local companies and KOTRA officials, the participant gained firsthand insight into the differences in language, culture, and work styles and the competencies required for global roles.

“My experience in Taiwan gave me a realistic sense of what it means to work beyond borders,” the participant said. “What once felt unfamiliar and abstract now feels like a real option I can challenge myself to pursue.”

Five participants who took part in the program in India presented short-form videos showcasing their activities, including visits to game companies, as well as their reflections on the experiences.

Participants also took time to reflect on their journey through interactive booths including a “time capsule” program that revisited letters they had written to themselves, offering a moment to look back on personal growth. Meanwhile, the operator of the YouTube channel “Culture and Arts for You” delivered a special lecture, sharing practical advice and messages of hope for young people on entrepreneurship, challenge, and resilience.

Building on the outcomes of this year’s program, Gyeonggi Province plans to continue providing robust support in 2026 so that more young people can strengthen their capabilities in a global environment. The province will maintain tailored overseas programs for youth while expanding employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.

“The achievements made by young people who faced challenges in unfamiliar settings go beyond mere experience and serve as valuable assets that illuminate their future,” said Kim Dae-soon, Second Vice Governor for Administrative Affairs of Gyeonggi Province. “Gyeonggi Province will continue providing young people with opportunities to take on challenges in a wider world.”

The Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters said on January 9 that four Singaporean tourists who got stranded while descending Bukhansan (Mount Bukhan) at night without lighting equipment last November sent a thank-you letter to Goyang Fire Station late last month.

The hikers, who lacked sufficient hiking experience as well as proper clothing and gear, were discovered around 7 PM near the Yaksuam Rest Area on Bukhansan by the Goyang Fire Station mountain rescue team and were able to return home safely.

After returning to Singapore, they expressed their deep appreciation for the Korean rescue team in handwritten notes. In their individually written messages, they thanked the rescuers for helping them in a dangerous moment. They said they would never forget the kindness they received in Korea and wrote, “You are our HERO!” One note also included a halting yet carefully written Korean message that said “Thank you!”

Another rescue story involving Gyeonggi Province firefighters has also circulated online.

A man in his 50s who became stranded during a winter hike on the 1,168-meter-tall Gukmangbong (Gukmang Peak) in Pocheon City was rescued in a dramatic operation on December 30 last year. After receiving an emergency call from the man, whose life was in danger due to hypothermia, the Northern 119 Integrated Situation Room of the Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters decided to deploy a helicopter.

A rescue crew member descended a steep, windy slope by rope to carry out the rescue, after which firefighters from Pocheon Fire Station safely transported the patient to a medical facility.

Following three days of treatment at Pocheon Medical Center, the man shared a message of gratitude on the Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters website. “That day became the day I died but was born again. I want to tell the Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters and the 119 responders who saved my life that they are doing the most meaningful and precious work in the world,” he wrote.

Kang Dae-hoon, Chief of the Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters, said, “I am proud of our firefighters who responded swiftly and with dedication even in critical situations,” adding, “We will continue to do our utmost to protect the lives and safety of our residents.”

Starting in the new year, Gyeonggi Province will be the first in the nation to implement a Childcare Support Program for Undocumented Foreign Children.

Undocumented foreign children refer to children residing in Korea without legal residency status. While Korean children currently receive monthly childcare subsidies ranging from KRW 280,000 to 540,000, and registered foreign children receive KRW 150,000 per month, undocumented foreign children have received no childcare support to date.

In accordance with the Gyeonggi Province Ordinance on the Identification and Support of Undocumented Children Born in Gyeonggi Province, enacted last year, the province planned and developed this childcare support program to address blind spots in childcare and welfare services.

Eligible beneficiaries are undocumented foreign children enrolled in daycare centers within the province. Each child will receive a monthly childcare subsidy of KRW 100,000. To prevent misuse and enhance transparency in budget execution, the subsidy will not be paid in cash to guardians but will instead be provided directly to daycare centers.

After comprehensively considering regional population composition and administrative conditions, the province selected Hwaseong, Anseong, and Icheon as pilot project areas for implementation in 2026. Following system stabilization, the province plans to gradually expand participation to additional cities and counties.

Kim Seong-hwan, Head of the Gyeonggi Province’s Immigration Society Support Division, stated, “This program is significant as it represents the first step toward guaranteeing rights and providing financial support to undocumented foreign children who have long been neglected and marginalized. We will continue to present an integrated rights-guarantee model covering the entire child life cycle—from birth and childcare to education and settlement in the local community.”

Gyeonggi Province also plans to implement the Gyeonggi Province Public Verification System for Undocumented Foreign Children Born in Korea, which will issue verification certificates enabling undocumented foreign children born in Korea and residing in the province to access public services and connect with support programs provided by private organizations.

The province announced on January 1 that the “Gyeonggi Province Ordinance on Support for the Prevention of Industrial Accidents Among Foreign Migrant Workers” was passed at the plenary session of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly on December 26, securing a legal foundation for the systematic promotion of industrial safety policies targeting migrant workers.

A total of around 160,000 foreign workers reside in Gyeonggi Province under the Employment Permit System, 64.6% of whom are participating in high-risk sectors such as manufacturing and construction. Due to language and cultural barriers, however, migrant workers face considerable difficulties in participating in safety training and accessing industrial accident prevention information. Despite the strengthening of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accident Punishment Act, concerns about the lack of on-site, customized support systems for migrant workers persist.

The ordinance includes provisions for the following: establishing and implementing industrial safety and accident prevention plans for migrant workers; developing and distributing multilingual safety education materials; building systems to collect and analyze provincial industrial accident statistics and data; providing safety equipment support for high-risk and small-scale workplaces; and operating incentive programs for employers that promote industrial accident prevention.

In particular, the ordinance establishes the legal basis for the installation and operation of a dedicated Migrant Worker Industrial Safety Support Center. This will enable the systematic delivery of field-oriented safety education and workplace risk assessments.

“Despite being an essential workforce supporting local industries, migrant workers remain in a vulnerable position when it comes to industrial accident prevention policies,” said Heo Young-gil, Director of the Immigration and Social Policy Division of Gyeonggi Province. “With the enactment of this ordinance, we hope to see practical safety support that overcomes language and cultural barriers, and to eliminate blind spots in the prevention of industrial accidents among migrant workers.”

Gyeonggi Province, together with its 31 cities and counties, is implementing elementary school enrollment guidance for the 2026 academic year by producing and distributing guidance materials in 20 languages to households with registered foreign children aged six residing in the province.

Unlike Korean children, foreign children are not subject to compulsory education and are not included in the resident registration system. As a result, they do not receive official enrollment notifications from local governments. As sa result, many children have remained out of school because foreign parents were unaware of enrollment procedures and schedules due to language barriers and difficulties in understanding the education system.

To address this gap in school enrollment, the province obtained data on foreign children eligible for enrollment from the Ministry of Justice and is promoting enrollment guidance in cooperation with local offices of education and city and county governments.

Last year, for the first time among metropolitan-level local governments, 21 cities and counties participated in the initiative, providing enrollment guidance to 2,037 registered foreign children. This year, all 31 cities and counties will participate, expanding the initiative to provide guidance for the 2026 elementary school enrollment of a total of 3,629 children.

To ensure accessibility for foreign households, the guidance materials have been translated into 20 languages, including Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Russian, and Uzbek. The province plans to produce official enrollment notices and enrollment guide booklets and send them to each household by mail. In addition, for families requiring interpretation support, foreign-language consultations will be provided in coordination with the Gyeonggi Migrant Integration Support Center and the Danuri Call Center.

Kim Seong-hwan, Head of the Gyeonggi Province’s Immigration Society Support Division, stated, “This initiative is meaningful in that it institutionally addresses an area where responsible personnel and guidance materials have been unclear. We recognize that foreign children are also members of our community who must be nurtured, and we expect this initiative to protect their right to learning and development. In the long term, we hope it will also contribute to social integration.”

– Economic activity participation rate at 64.7%, with lower participation among women and a high proportion of temporary employment
○ Gyeonggi Province to pursue a policy shift toward a settled immigrant society, aiming to establish an inclusive regional model

According to the survey results, the growing proportion of long-term residents and foreign nationals of Korean descent among foreign residents in Gyeonggi Province suggests that policy measures should shift from a short-term stay–centered approach to one that supports long-term residence and settlement.

On December 15, Gyeonggi Province announced the results of the 2025 Gyeonggi Province Immigrant Social Integration Survey at a workshop held in Siheung for officials from immigrant support departments across the province’s 31 cities and counties.

According to 2023 statistics from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, approximately 810,000 foreign residents live in Gyeonggi Province, accounting for about 33% of the national total. In response to rapidly growing immigrant-related demand, the province surveyed 712 immigrants residing in Gyeonggi Province between June and August, examining their economic activity, family life, social participation, and experiences of discrimination.

By residency type, foreign workers accounted for the largest share at 22.3%, followed by foreign nationals of Korean descent (22.2%), marriage immigrants (21.3%), other foreign residents (14.3%), naturalized citizens (13.5%), and international students (6.3%). More than half of respondents (56.6%) were long-term residents who had lived in Korea for five years or more, including 29.8% who had resided in the country for 10 years or more and 26.8% who had lived there for 5 to 9 years.

The overall economic activity participation rate among respondents was 64.7%, with a notable gender gap: 85.2% for men compared to 52.2% for women. While the average proportion of regular employment among all immigrants was 53.5%, foreign nationals of Korean descent and other foreign residents showed particularly high proportions of temporary and daily employment—60.3% and 61.8%, respectively—indicating greater exposure to long working hours and employment instability.

The majority of naturalized citizens (97.0%), marriage immigrants (96.2%), and foreign nationals of Korean descent (93.0%) lived with their spouses. In contrast, only 19.6% of foreign workers lived with their spouses. Notably, even among foreign workers with children, only 11.2% lived with them, highlighting the need for policies that support family cohabitation.

Language barriers emerged as a common difficulty in both economic activity and family life. Among respondents, 41.2% cited insufficient Korean language proficiency as the greatest challenge in job searching, while 35.5% of immigrant children reported difficulties using Korean.

Regarding social participation, three out of four immigrants reported not having voting rights, while only 16.1% indicated that they had voting rights and had participated in elections. The main reasons for not voting were lack of time due to work (38.7%), not knowing they were eligible to vote (26.3%), and lack of interest (22.7%). In contrast, the election participation rate among naturalized citizens was high at 92.2%.

The rate of experiencing discrimination stood at 30.8%, including experiences such as being ignored or insulted, or facing disadvantages in employment or wages. Immigrants who had experienced discrimination reported a lower life satisfaction score of 6.5 points, compared to 7.26 points among those who had not. Their average depression and stress level was 10.74 points, higher than the 9.83 points reported by Korean nationals. This indicator consists of 11 items scored on a 0–3 scale, with higher scores indicating greater levels of depression. Despite these findings, fewer than 5% of immigrants reported using professional services such as psychiatric treatment or counseling at public health centers, emphasizing the need for enhanced policy support in this area.

Based on the survey findings, Gyeonggi Province plans to establish the Gyeonggi Province Comprehensive Plan for Immigrant Social Integration.

Kim Seong-hwan, Head of the Gyeonggi Province’s Immigration Society Support Division, stated, “This survey is significant as it represents the first official data to closely examine the realities of Gyeonggi Province’s immigrant community. As we rapidly transition toward a settled immigrant society, we will concentrate our policy capacity on ensuring that practical measures take root, including eliminating discrimination, expanding economic and social participation, and guaranteeing the right to health.”

A survey conducted by Gyeonggi Province on the human rights conditions of foreign seasonal workers found that more than half of respondents who experienced human rights violations did not know where to seek help in emergency situations.

On December 11, Gyeonggi Province announced that it will complete a comprehensive analysis of the survey results and present policy improvement measures early next year.

The survey was conducted from July to November by the Gyeonggi Provincial Human Rights Division, the Agricultural Policy Division, the Gyeonggi Agro-Fisheries Institute, and the Hanyang University ERICA Industry–Academic Cooperation Foundation. Investigators visited farms employing seasonal workers and surveyed a total of 579 respondents, including 419 seasonal workers—336 directly employed workers and 83 public-type workers—along with 126 employers and 34 city and county officials.

According to the key findings, 78.2 percent (315) of the seasonal worker respondents (403) reported having a written employment contract. However, when asked about their understanding of the contract, only 54.4 percent (162) said they understood it very well.

Regarding experiences of human rights violations in the workplace, the most frequently reported issues were discrepancies between the workplace specified in the contract and the actual work location (14.3 percent, 59 respondents), unpaid overtime wages (13.3 percent, 55 respondents), and verbal abuse (11.1 percent). Among public-type seasonal workers, higher rates of violations were reported compared to directly employed workers. These included unpaid overtime wages (35.4 percent, 29 respondents), verbal abuse (29.1 percent, 23 respondents), additional accommodation fees (22.0 percent, 18 respondents), discrepancies in workplace location (21.0 percent, 17 respondents), restrictions on going out (15.7 percent, 13 respondents), and physical violence (7.3 percent, 6 respondents).

Among the 96 respondents who reported experiencing human rights violations, 87.5 percent said they endured the situation without taking any action. In addition, only 41.9 percent said they were aware of institutions where they could seek assistance in an emergency.

A separate survey of employers regarding working conditions showed an average daily working time of 9.2 hours, an average rest period of 1.7 hours, three days off per month, an average monthly wage of KRW 1.98 million, and average deductions of KRW 194,000 for expenses such as accommodation and meals.

With respect to pay slips, only 58.4 percent (52) of employers reported issuing them. Among those employers, 56.9 percent (29) provided pay slips in Korean, while only 39.2 percent (20) provided them in the worker’s native language.

As for employer-provided accommodation, the most common type was general housing (36.8 percent, 42 cases), followed by temporary structures (22.8 percent, 26 cases), housing attached to the employer’s residence (15.8 percent, 18 cases), and studio apartments (11.4 percent, 13 cases).

Meanwhile, 76.5 percent (26) of city and county officials responsible for seasonal worker affairs reported that staffing levels were insufficient. In addition, 24.2 percent—nearly one quarter—said they had relied on assistance from intermediaries such as brokers or managers.

Regarding human rights education programs for seasonal workers conducted by city and county governments, 71 percent (22) reported providing translated materials in workers’ native languages, and the same proportion reported offering interpretation support. However, in jurisdictions with only one staff member assigned to seasonal worker affairs, the provision of translated materials fell to 64.7 percent, while interpretation support dropped to 47.1 percent, indicating greater vulnerability due to limited administrative capacity.

When asked whether they had paid fees to intermediaries such as brokers or managers, 79.4 percent (104) of respondents from Laos, 7.4 percent (5) from Cambodia, and 6.7 percent (11) from Vietnam answered “yes.” Expert advisory meetings noted discrepancies between the survey findings and on-the-ground conditions. Experts also observed that seasonal workers often hesitate to report human rights violations out of concern that doing so could jeopardize future employment opportunities in Korea, potentially limiting the scope of the survey results.

To prevent human rights violations, Gyeonggi Province’s Agricultural Policy Division provided labor and human rights education this year to 796 employers across 12 cities and counties, focusing on compliance with labor contracts and the prevention of discrimination. The province also conducted pilot psychological counseling programs for public-type seasonal workers in three cities and counties to support emotional well-being and social adjustment.

Choi Hyeon-jeong, Gyeonggi Province’s Human Rights Director, stated, “This survey marks a starting point for strengthening the institutional foundation needed to ensure that the growing number of seasonal workers can work in a safe and respectful environment,” adding, “Based on the findings, we will develop comprehensive institutional improvement measures addressing labor contracts, language accessibility, workplace safety, and intermediaries.”

Meanwhile, anyone may seek consultation or apply for remedies through the Gyeonggi Provincial Human Rights Center regarding discrimination and human rights violations occurring within Gyeonggi Province, its administrative agencies, province-funded institutions, entrusted organizations, entities receiving provincial support, and social welfare facilities. Applications may be submitted by third parties as well as by affected individuals, and all consultations are handled in strict confidence. Inquiries can be made to the Gyeonggi Provincial Human Rights Center at 031-8008-2340 or 031-120 (press 8), or via the center’s website (www.gg.go.kr/humanrights).

Gyeonggi Province and the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) held the “2025 K-Beauty Expo Malaysia” at the Penang Waterfront Convention Centre (PWCC) from November 20 to 22, achieving business consultations valued at USD 15 million in total.

This inaugural expo was organized to secure Malaysia—a market with high demand for Korean cosmetics due to influences like K-dramas—as a strategic hub for exports in Southeast Asia.

A total of 66 companies, including 50 from Gyeonggi Province, participated, exhibiting a full range of K-Beauty products such as cosmetics, haircare items, raw materials, and beauty devices. The expo was held concurrently with the K Meditech Expo Malaysia, attracting over 7,000 visitors, including 151 local buyers, generating strong interest.

Gyeonggi Province provided participating companies with support amounting to approximately KRW 4.1 million per company in cost reductions for booth fees, interpreting services, and transportation costs. Additional support included buyer matchmaking, follow-up management, and collaboration with KOTRA, providing diverse opportunities for companies to develop export channels.

During the expo, a one-on-one export consultation session co-hosted with KOTRA resulted in USD 15 million in potential export deals, with contracts worth about USD 2 million currently being pursued—demonstrating tangible outcomes even at its first-ever event.

A representative from Ronas Cosmetic, a participating company, said, “We are grateful for the extensive support we received as a Gyeonggi company, including assistance with booth fees, interpreters, and transportation costs,” adding, “We were pleased to achieve strong results, including signing a USD 30,000 contract with a local buyer during the on-site export consultations. This event gave us confidence in the purchasing power of K-Beauty products in the Malaysian market.”

Eom Ki-man, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Bio Industry Division, commented, “Although this was the first expo, achieving substantial consultation figures and contract negotiations demonstrates both the capabilities of Gyeonggi companies and the growth potential of the Malaysian market,” and added, “The province will continue strategic efforts to help local beauty SMEs strengthen their global competitiveness and establish a foundation for sustainable growth.”

On November 15, the Gyeonggi-do Provincial Institute for Lifelong Learning hosted the “K-Food Yangpyeong Festa” at the Gyeonggi Future Education Yangpyeong Campus, under the theme “Lifelong Learning Through Food: Learning and Sharing.”

The event was designed to provide a platform where both residents and foreigners can learn and interact together through Korean cuisine, a globally recognized cultural content at the center of Hallyu (the “Korean Wave”). More than 1,000 participants gained hands-on exposure to Korea’s rich culinary culture by enjoying a variety of programs, such as cooking experiences, crafts, and book-picnics.

Of particular note, the featured “Kimjang Sharing Event” brought together over 100 participants, including 57 foreign students and global influencers from 19 countries, international students from Kyungbok University and Jangan University, volunteers from the Arum Supermodel Volunteer Service Group, members of the Yangpyeong County Citizens’ Choir, and native-speaking teachers at the Yangpyeong Campus.

Tae Taeya Min-soo, an international student from Jangan University, shared, “I love kimchi and was curious about how it’s made, so I’m glad I could take part. I hope there will be more opportunities like this.”

The kimchi-making event was held under the guidance of Lee Mi-ran, Director at the Korea Fermented Food Research Institute’s Fermentation Schole, incorporating a seasoning recipe that reinterprets Korea’s traditional fermented food culture in a modern way. Around 2,000 heads of kimchi will be delivered to those in need through welfare organizations such as the Gyeonggi Sharing Food Bank, with support from NH Nonghyup Bank Gyeonggi Headquarters and the Gyeonggi Community Chest of Korea.

Yoo Seong-ho (40), a Yangpyeong resident, commented, “By making kimchi with my child, we were able to naturally learn the meaning of sharing. It was a special moment for our family.”

In addition to kimchi sharing, the event offered a wide range of hands-on experience programs, including: “Cooking Lab,” a hands-on cooking session such as dasik, gyeongdan, and gimbap; “Little Chef Workshop” for apron-making and hanji crafts; “Future Imagination Studio” for AI mug-making and a drone-delivery challenge; “Book, Forest Picnic,” a book-picnic program in nature; and “Performance Stage,” showcasing live performances and interactive shows.

Oh Who-seok, Director of the Gyeonggi-do Provincial Institute for Lifelong Learning, said, “The ‘K-Food Yangpyeong Festa’ captured learning and sharing, the essence of lifelong education, through food,” adding, “We will continue to expand a culture of learning, where everyone can grow and connect across generations and nationalities.”
 
Gyeonggi Hosts Foreign-Invested Company Day, Honoring Businesses and Individuals Contributing to Investment Attraction
○ Companies and individuals lauded for achievements in attracting investment and contributing to regional co-prosperity
– Three organizations received plaques of appreciation for excellence in investment attraction and local collaboration; thirteen individuals honored for outstanding contributions
○ Gyeonggi will continue to foster a business-friendly investment environment to support the sustainable growth of domestic and foreign-invested companies

On November 26, Gyeonggi Province held the “2025 Gyeonggi Province Foreign-Invested Companies Day” at the Ramada Plaza Suwon. Now in its 17th year, the annual event is designed to recognize the contributions of foreign-invested companies and related organizations within the province, while reinforcing mutual cooperation and networking.

Approximately 100 participants joined the event, including Yoo So-jeong, Director of Gyeonggi Province’s Investment Promotion Division, executives and employees from foreign-invested companies operating in Gyeonggi Province, and representatives from relevant institutions.

A total of 16 recipients—including public officials, business leaders, and institutions—received awards for their role in attracting investment to Gyeonggi Province and revitalizing the regional economy.

In the public sector category, honorees included Song Young-il, Administrative Officer of Uiwang City; Yoon Cheol, Corporate Support Team Leader of Osan City; and Yoo Mi-jin, Administrative Officer of Pyeongtaek City. In the private sector category, 10 individuals were recognized, including the Hwaseong Business Support Team Leader from Shinsegae Property and the Project Strategy Promotion Team Leader from Kia Corporation. Additionally, three organizations, including Faurecia Korea represented by CEO Lee Sang-guk, received plaques of appreciation for their contributions to both investment attraction and regional coexistence.

Following the award ceremony, a special lecture titled “2026 Global Economic and Trade Outlook” was delivered by a global economic expert, providing valuable insights into upcoming changes in the economic and trade landscape and strategies for responding to them.

A luncheon and professional consultation booths covering tax, labor, and customs were also provided after the event, supporting practical networking opportunities and enabling meaningful information exchange among foreign-invested company representatives.

In her congratulatory remarks, Director Yoo stated, “The dedication of foreign-invested companies is the driving force that makes Gyeonggi Province the best place for investment in Asia.” She added, “We will continue to turn challenges into opportunities and achieve even greater progress together with you.”

The Gyeonggi-do Support Center for Foreign-Invested Companies continues to assist the stable operation and investment expansion of approximately 3,800 foreign-invested companies in the province, offering diverse services such as business consultations, workforce support programs, and professional management advisory services. For more information, contact the Gyeonggi-do Support Center for Foreign-Invested Companies at 031-247-8855.

An international forum will be held to examine the structural changes and social impacts of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence across the fields of technology, climate, and labor, and to discuss the direction the international community should pursue alongside leading scholars from around the world.

On December 3, Gyeonggi Province announced that it will host the 2025 Gyeonggi International Forum on December 10 and 11 at KINTEX in Goyang City under the theme “Human-Centered Transformation: Designing a Society Where Technology Serves Humanity.”

The Gyeonggi International Forum is the newly rebranded successor to the Gyeonggi Global Transformation Forum, which was launched by the province last year. Modeled in part on the World Economic Forum in Davos, the event brings together world-renowned scholars, representatives of international organizations, and other prominent figures to address global challenges that require new and transformative ways of thinking.

This year’s forum will span two days and include an opening ceremony, keynote addresses, opening discussions, and thematic sessions focusing on Opportunity, Climate, Caregiving, and Labor, followed by a closing ceremony. Approximately 500 participants are expected, including members of the diplomatic corps in Korea, officials from international organizations, representatives from local businesses, subject-matter experts, and university students.

At a time when technological advancement, the climate crisis, and shifts in the global order are mutually reinforcing and accelerating, Gyeonggi Province aims to explore values and policy directions for designing technology in ways that enhance human dignity and the common good. Through the forum, the province seeks to convey the message that technology is a means rather than an end, and that it will respond to these challenges through concrete policy action.

Keynote speakers include Professor Jürgen Schmidhuber of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), widely known as the “father of modern artificial intelligence,” and Professor Daniel Susskind of King’s College London, known for proposing new frameworks for work and economic growth in the AI era.

Professor Schmidhuber, a global pioneer in artificial intelligence and deep learning, is expected to highlight the role of AI in advancing an “AI for All” era—one in which powerful and transparent AI technologies are broadly accessible—and to emphasize AI’s potential to promote inclusion for socially vulnerable populations. Professor Susskind will reexamine the benefits and limitations of economic growth, arguing that achieving prosperity in the AI era requires rethinking the purpose of growth and redirecting it toward outcomes that are genuinely valuable to society.

Governor Kim Dong-yeon of Gyeonggi Province will moderate the opening discussion, which will feature Professors Schmidhuber and Susskind alongside Christine Zhenwei Qiang, Global Director for Digital Development at the World Bank. Together, the panelists will lead discussions from a global perspective on connecting advanced technologies with digital transformation, climate action, and efforts to reduce inequality. The forum’s key messages include the importance of AI grounded in fairness, accountability, and inclusiveness; the need for new economic and social models suited to the AI era; and the promotion of multilateral, cooperative governance among governments, the international community, academia, and industry to foster inclusive AI development.

The Gyeonggi International Forum will host individual sessions on four core agendas—Opportunity, Climate, Caregiving, and Labor—through December 11. These sessions will comprehensively assess the social impacts of structural changes driven by technology, climate challenges, and labor transformation while also presenting potential solutions. Discussion topics will include strategies for addressing inequality in the AI era, rural RE100 initiatives and energy transition, human-centered AI applications in caregiving, and labor issues arising from the platform economy.

Park Keon-kyun, Director General of the International Cooperation Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, stated, “The 2025 Gyeonggi International Forum will establish itself as an international platform for identifying practical policy alternatives for a human-centered transformation.” He added, “We will translate the proposals and insights presented at the forum into provincial policies and expand cooperation with domestic and international local governments, international organizations, research institutions, and companies, fulfilling our role as a responsible local government leading the era of transformation.”