Jinju to host international entrepreneurship forum Oct. 18-20

Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, will host the 2026 Jinju International Forum on Entrepreneurship from Oct. 18-20, bringing together United Nations officials, global business leaders and scholars to discuss entrepreneurship amid geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions and intensifying artificial intelligence (AI) competition.

The Jinju K-Entrepreneurship Foundation said Tuesday that the forum will explore how businesses, governments and local communities can turn these challenges into opportunities for innovation and shared prosperity.

Under the theme “An Era of Global Uncertainty and Digital Transformation: What Is the Role of Entrepreneurship?” the three-day forum will examine how entrepreneurship can foster innovation and shared prosperity.

A key session will bring together former U.N. Economic and Social Council presidents Nestor Osorio and Martin Sajdik, former Argentine ambassador to the U.N. Martin Moritan and U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development Navid Hanif.

They will discuss opportunities and inequalities arising from AI, the sustainable development goals, international cooperation and responsible entrepreneurship.

Executives from Samsung, LG, GS and Hyosung groups will share strategies for nurturing talent for the AI era, navigating global supply chain shifts, integrating AI into manufacturing and fostering open innovation between large companies and startups.

Aerospace and defense, key strategic industries for Jinju and South Gyeongsang Province, will also be on the agenda. Speakers will include Shin Ick-hyun, CEO of LIG Defense & Aerospace; John Kim, head of Anduril Korea; Hong Yo-seop, head of AeroVironment Korea; and Kim Ha-neul, head of overseas business development at Korean Air.

They will discuss AI-powered autonomous and unmanned systems, global aerospace supply chains and strategies for helping local companies enter overseas markets. The sessions will also explore ways to foster cooperation among global companies, local small and medium-sized enterprises, universities and local governments.

Leading entrepreneurship scholars, including Erkko Autio, a professor at Imperial College London, will discuss talent development and innovation ecosystems in the AI era.

The final day will feature a session titled “Beyond GDP to GDH: Entrepreneurship for Human Flourishing,” examining how entrepreneurship can contribute to quality jobs, human dignity, individual potential and community prosperity beyond economic growth. The discussion will draw on Humane Entrepreneurship data from 43 countries.

The forum was selected as a regional signature international meeting under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization's 2026 Global K-Convention Development Program. It was the only event selected in the Gyeongsang region among five nationwide and will receive up to 600 million won in government funding over four years to boost its international profile.

The forum is open to anyone interested in entrepreneurship and future industries. Advance registration is available on the official website at https://www.jinju.go.kr/jinjuforum/.