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2025 National Saemaul Leaders' Convention to Be Held in Busan Under the Theme “Together Saemaul! Toward the Future and the World!”

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that the “2025 National Saemaul Leaders' Convention” will take place today (17th) and tomorrow (18th) at Dadaepo Beach and the Busan Cinema Center. The event is hosted and organized by the Saemaul Undong Central Association and the Busan Saemaul Association, with support from Busan Metropolitan City and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Approximately 10,000 participants—including Saemaul leaders and women’s association members from around the country—are expected to visit Busan.

Since its inception in 1970, the Saemaul Undong has established itself as a representative national movement pursuing material prosperity and spiritual well-being as a “community movement for living together,” grounded in the core values of diligence, self-help, and cooperation. The organization comprises bodies such as the Saemaul Leaders Council, Saemaul Women’s Association, Workplace Saemaul Council, and Saemaul Library, and Busan Metropolitan City currently has about 210,000 registered Saemaul members.

This year’s National Saemaul Leaders' Convention, marking the 55th anniversary of the Saemaul Undong, is being held under the theme “Together Saemaul! Toward the Future and the World!” and carries additional significance as it returns to a non-capital region for the first time in four years since the 2021 event in Jeju.

The program includes a full-day event today (17th) at Dadaepo Beach, consisting of a commemorative ceremony and celebratory concert, and a main ceremony tomorrow (18th) at the Busan Cinema Center featuring a presentation of annual achievements, awards for distinguished contributors, keynote speeches, and a collective performance.

The commemorative event on the 17th (14:00–14:30) will begin with an opening declaration by Busan Saemaul Association Chairperson Baek Ok-ja, followed by the presentation of appreciation plaques and congratulatory remarks from distinguished guests. Mayor Park Heong-joon, Busan Metropolitan Council Chairperson Ahn Seong-min, Members of the National Assembly Lee Heon-seung, Lee Seong-gwon, and Jeong Seong-guk, along with district mayors and city council members, will welcome visitors from across the nation.

The concert program (14:30–16:50) will feature trot singers An Seong-hun, Hwang Min-ho, Hwang Min-woo, Yang Ji-eun, Bae Ah-hyun, and Kim Ui-young, and conclude with the Busan Metropolitan City Chorus leading the singing of the Saemaul Song.

The main event on the 18th (11:00–12:00) will include the opening declaration and national ceremony, a presentation of the year’s achievements, government commendations for meritorious contributors, keynote speeches, and a paper airplane performance in which all Saemaul members will participate.

For safety management, a total of about 700 personnel—including staff from the city and district offices, Busan Saemaul members, security teams, fire and police officers, and Marine Corps volunteers—will be deployed to ensure that 10,000 visitors can enjoy the event safely. Anticipating more than 200 large buses arriving from around the country, the city will utilize nearby large department store parking lots and public parking facilities to prevent traffic congestion.

In addition, Busan Metropolitan City and district offices conducted joint safety inspections on November 15 and 16. On the event day, ambulances will be stationed onsite and a medical room will be operated to respond thoroughly to emergencies.

Mayor Park emphasized, “We have meticulously prepared so that all Saemaul members visiting from across the country can enjoy the event safely,” adding, “As the Saemaul Undong marks its 55th year, I hope it will undergo constructive transformation suited to the new era and be passed down not only to future generations unfamiliar with it but also to people around the world.”

He further stated, “Upholding the core spirit of the Saemaul Undong is key to overcoming the overconcentration in the Seoul metropolitan area. I firmly believe that Busan’s leap forward as a Global Hub City and a national balanced development strategy that allows each region to harness its unique strengths will be the true way to carry on the spirit of the Saemaul Undong, ensuring that everyone prospers together.”