Busan is good

Busan Takes Action to Transform Korea’s National Spatial Structure by Signing an MOU to Foster and Recruit Regional Talent in the Southeastern Region

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, signed an MOU today, August 12, at 2:00 p.m. at the R&D Campus of Hanwha Aerospace’s Changwon Plant 3 in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, with Gyeongsangnam-do, Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Ocean, Hanwha Engine, Pusan National University, Gyeongsang National University, and Changwon National University to foster regional talent and strengthen recruitment linkages in the southeastern region.

The agreement is particularly significant as the first tangible outcome of the Southeastern Region Growth Engine-linked Industry-Academia-Government Alliance launched in July. Universities, companies, and local governments are moving into concrete action by transcending administrative and institutional boundaries and integrating the entire southeastern region into a single industrial and educational ecosystem.

The signing ceremony was attended by key officials and representatives, including Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo, Gyeongsangnam-do Governor Park Wan-soo, National Assembly member Seo Il-jun, Pusan National University President Choi Jae-won, Gyeongsang National University President Kwon Jin-hoe, Changwon National University President Park Min-won, Hanwha Ocean CEO Kim Hee-cheol, Hanwha Engine CEO Kim Jong-seo, Hanwha Aerospace CEO Son Jae-il, and Jeong In-seop, Head of the Mutual Growth Cooperation Office at Hanwha Aerospace. The participants pledged mutual cooperation to foster regional talent in partnership with flagship national universities and establish a collaborative framework aimed at balanced development in the southeastern region.

Through the agreement, the participating organizations will jointly cultivate highly skilled, industry-ready talent to lead the southeastern region’s key industries, including shipbuilding and maritime industries, aerospace and defense, future mobility, and next-generation energy, while maximizing technological competitiveness.

Under the agreement, an undergraduate contract department jointly operated by Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Ocean, and Hanwha Engine will be established at Pusan National University in 2028. Gyeongsang National University and Changwon National University will operate contract-based enrollment quota programs to cultivate master’s-level talent.

The participants also agreed to pursue multifaceted cooperation, including establishing retraining programs for incumbent employees, developing exchange student programs for outstanding talent from overseas universities, and expanding joint research and development to secure future technologies.

The southeastern region is a major hub of advanced manufacturing and possesses extensive transportation networks, logistics infrastructure, and a foundation for industrial data demonstration and validation. As the only integrated living and economic region capable of serving as a counterweight to the Seoul metropolitan area, securing outstanding talent and advancing technological innovation have emerged as essential priorities for sustainable regional growth amid the rapidly changing global industrial environment.

In particular, the agreement, through which companies and universities have jointly developed concrete measures for implementation at actual industrial sites, is expected to serve as a powerful catalyst for local governments, universities, and companies to work together as one team and build a strong growth axis in the southeastern region capable of countering the current concentration in the Seoul metropolitan area.

Mayor Chun Jae-soo emphasized, “This regional talent development model, jointly created by companies and universities, marks a meaningful first step for the Southeastern Region Growth Engine-linked Industry-Academia-Government Alliance.” He added, “Busan Metropolitan City will support this cooperation so that it leads to actual curricula, joint research, and recruitment. We hope this model of cooperation, beginning in Busan and Gyeongsangnam-do, will expand throughout the southeastern region and serve as a solid foundation for overcoming Korea’s current single-pole structure and advancing toward a two-pole and ultimately multi-pole national structure.”