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Gender Equality for Everyone, Broader and Deeper… Busan Metropolitan City to Hold 2026 Gender Equality Week Commemoration

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced that it will hold the 2026 Gender Equality Week Commemoration at 4:30 p.m. today, September 1, at the Busan City Hall Auditorium to mark Gender Equality Week, which runs from September 1 to 7.

Gender Equality Week was designated under the Framework Act on Gender Equality to reaffirm the meaning of equality in all areas of politics, the economy, society, and culture, and to raise public awareness.

About 700 people are expected to attend the ceremony, including Mayor Chun Jae-soo, Busan Metropolitan Council Chair Kang Mu-gil, Busan Metropolitan City Superintendent of Education Kim Seok-jun, other distinguished guests, women leaders, women’s organizations, and citizens.

This year’s ceremony will be held under the slogan “Gender Equality for Everyone, Broader and Deeper” and will feature awards honoring contributions to gender equality, interactive policy promotion and experience booths for citizens, and a celebratory performance by young artists from Busan.

The ceremony will begin with awards presented to 22 recipients in three categories.

The Busan Women’s Award will be presented to Yoo Soon-hee, President of Busan Women’s Newspaper, who has worked as a local woman journalist to advance women’s rights and expand their participation in society, and Han Young-sook, CEO of Site Planning Architects Co., Ltd., a woman entrepreneur with expertise in urban planning and architecture who has set an example in work-life balance and family-friendly management.

Fusca Co., Ltd., headed by Lee Dong-jun, and Korea Housing & Urban Guarantee Corporation, headed by President Choi In-ho, have been selected as Exemplary Companies for Gender-Equal Employment. Eighteen individuals will also receive awards for their contributions to gender equality.

The ceremony will conclude with celebratory performances by soprano Jung Soo-jung, a Busan-born vocalist who is active in discovering and supporting young local artists, and fusion traditional music group Soseondam, which creates diverse contemporary sounds rooted in tradition.

In particular, a new Interactive Women and Family Policy Experience Program for Citizens will be offered before the ceremony, beginning at 3:00 p.m. in the lobby outside the Busan City Hall Auditorium.

Five centers in the women and family policy field—the Gender Equality Center, Healthy Family Support Center, Metropolitan Childcare Support Center, Work-Life Balance Support Center, and Comprehensive Support Center for the Prevention of Violence Against Women—will jointly participate. They will operate promotional and hands-on experience booths designed to strengthen communication with citizens and help the public better understand and experience relevant policies.

A variety of commemorative events will also be held throughout Busan during Gender Equality Week from September 1 to 7. All 16 districts and counties will host programs such as talk concerts, contests, forums, film screenings, and educational sessions to foster a culture of gender equality and encourage greater public interest and participation.

Events available across the city include an exhibition and awards ceremony for the “A Future We Draw Together” Gender Equality Culture Promotion Project contest, organized by the Busan Metropolitan Council of Women’s Organizations from September 1 to 4; “Yeogwontongmun Festa in Busan,” organized by the Busan Women’s Solidarity Council on September 2; the “Clean Water Co-Prosperity Cooperation Talk Concert,” organized by the Busan Metropolitan Council of Women’s Organizations on September 3; the “Busan Gender Equality Film Festival: Leap” film screening, organized by the Busan Women and Family and Lifelong Education Institute on September 2; the “Visiting Yeogwontongmun Education Program,” organized by the Busan Women’s Solidarity Council from September 1 to 30; and the “Visiting Gender Equality Education Program,” organized by the Busan Women and Family and Lifelong Education Institute from September 1 to 30.

Mayor Chun Jae-soo is expected to say, “An environment of gender equality in which everyone can take on challenges and realize their full potential without discrimination is the most important foundation for completing Busan’s vision as a global maritime capital. We will do our utmost to support a harmonious balance between work and family so that no one has to give up their career because of childbirth or childcare, and to make Busan a city where fair opportunities are open to every citizen.”