Jinju forum returns for 4th straight year

JINJU, South Gyeongsang Province — The Jinju International Forum on Entrepreneurship opened Monday for its fourth consecutive year, bringing together business leaders, scholars, policymakers and international representatives to explore how entrepreneurship can address global uncertainty and rapid digital transformation.

Held under the theme “An Era of Global Uncertainty and Digital Transformation: What Is the Role of Entrepreneurship?,” the 2026 forum focuses on how entrepreneurship can drive innovation, promote sustainable prosperity and address challenges such as technological disparities, demographic changes and the climate crisis.

In his welcoming remarks, Jinju Mayor Jo Kyoo-il highlighted the city's entrepreneurial heritage, saying its emphasis on respect for people, community responsibility and innovation offered valuable lessons for navigating today's technological and economic changes.

Jinju is deeply connected to the entrepreneurial roots of major Korean business groups, including LG, GS, Samsung and Hyosung, whose founders helped drive Korea's economic transformation, Jo said.

“Rooted in respect for people and the value of a community, (Jinju's entrepreneurship) has long brought together the pursuit of a challenge and innovation with a commitment to social responsibility,” Jo said.

He added that the city hoped to develop the forum into a world-class platform for international dialogue comparable to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Park Wan-su praised Jinju’s entrepreneurial tradition for fostering globally recognized companies and contributing to Korea’s economic development. He said the forum could promote Korean entrepreneurship internationally, inspire young people and strengthen global cooperation, pledging provincial support for a business-friendly environment and regional growth.

In a keynote address, Martin Sajdik, the 70th president of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, stressed the need for international cooperation and multilateralism amid geopolitical tensions and rapid technological change.

He highlighted economic ties between the European Union and Korea, including trade, digital transformation, energy and defense. The EU accounted for about 10 percent of Korea's trade and was its largest foreign direct investor, with investment stocks totaling 53 billion euros in 2024, he said.

Sajdik also cited growing defense cooperation and called for a rules-based international order, warning that technological advances must be accompanied by accountability and oversight.

Quoting U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, he said, “The danger is not technology. The danger is technology without accountability, capability without oversight, decision-making without transparency.”

“Military power alone cannot secure peace. Economic power alone cannot command stability. And technological power alone cannot guarantee security,” Sajdik said, calling for “a multilateral system centered in the United Nations.”

Ayman El Tarabishy, president and CEO of the International Council for Small Business, emphasized the need to ensure small businesses can benefit from artificial intelligence (AI)-driven transformation.

Small and medium-sized enterprises account for about 90 percent of businesses worldwide and more than half of global employment, he noted, warning that unequal access to AI tools and training could widen the gap between large and small businesses.

“Large corporations are like giant ships; they have engineers, capital, and data. Small businesses are like small boats; they feel every wave,” he said.

“The promise of AI should not depend on the size of your business,” he added, advocating empathy, enablement and empowerment to help small firms adopt AI and involve employees in decisions about its use.

Drawing on Jinju’s famous lantern festival, he said small businesses could collectively illuminate the path forward, urging stakeholders to turn ideas into action.

The forum runs through Tuesday.