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Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do Connected through Jobs… Launch Ceremony for the “Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongsangnam-do Greater Regional Link Project” to Be Held

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Busan Metropolitan City, together with Ulsan Metropolitan City and Gyeongsangnam-do, will hold the launch ceremony for the “Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongsangnam-do Greater Regional Link Project” at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, September 8, at BEXCO Exhibition Center 2.

Around 150 people are expected to attend the launch ceremony, including Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo, Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-wook, Gyeongsangnam-do Governor Park Wan-soo, Vice Minister of Employment and Labor Kwon Chang-jun, and representatives from industry and related organizations. Together, they will mark a new beginning for greater regional employment cooperation among Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do.

The “Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongsangnam-do Greater Regional Link Project” is significant as a practical example of greater regional cooperation that translates collaboration among the three regions into concrete employment initiatives.

Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do share key industries such as shipbuilding, automobiles and machinery components. Businesses and talent also move across administrative boundaries, making the three regions a single living area in which industry, employment and daily life are closely interconnected.

Accordingly, the three cities and province will move beyond employment policies implemented separately by each local government and connect the industrial strengths, talent and business capabilities of each area into a single region to jointly address shared employment challenges.

In particular, they plan to turn cooperation among Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do into tangible results by jointly implementing initiatives in areas that require interregional coordination, including attracting and retaining talent, supporting interregional commuting and employment, cultivating future talent, and promoting cooperation among businesses.

The Greater Regional Link Project will be implemented over four years, beginning with three projects—Talent Link, Settlement Link and Future Link—comprising seven detailed programs. A total of KRW 12.5 billion will be invested in 2026, including KRW 10 billion in national funding and KRW 2.5 billion in local funding.

“Talent Link” will support the initial settlement and asset building of young talent from the Seoul metropolitan area and other regions who move to work for companies in Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do’s key industries. It will also provide asset-building support to young workers who relocate within the region or commute across regional boundaries, encouraging long-term employment.

“Settlement Link” will support workers who commute across Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do and provide greater regional employment services, creating a living environment in which people can work and live conveniently beyond administrative boundaries.

“Future Link” will cultivate professionals needed for the artificial intelligence transformation, or AX, of industries in Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do. It will also support cooperation among companies in areas such as joint research, production and supply chains, establishing a foundation for the sustainable creation of future jobs.

Following the launch ceremony, the “Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongsangnam-do Greater Regional Link Job Fair” and the “Maritime and Fisheries Job Fair” will be held concurrently to connect companies and talent across regional boundaries.

Around 70 large, mid-sized and small companies in shipbuilding, automobiles and machinery components—industries common to Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do—will participate in the Greater Regional Link Job Fair. Participants are expected to include current and prospective science and engineering graduates from the three regions, as well as job seekers interested in employment in related fields.

The venue will feature a large-company promotion zone, corporate recruitment zone, greater regional employment services zone, special headhunting zone, employment support zone and settlement support zone. These will provide job seekers with a broader range of employment opportunities beyond regional boundaries while giving companies opportunities to meet the talent they need.

In particular, the event will be held concurrently with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ “Maritime and Fisheries Job Fair,” further expanding employment opportunities by bringing together in one place talent and around 100 companies from key industries in Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do as well as the maritime and fisheries sector.

Busan Metropolitan City plans to use this project as an opportunity to further strengthen the cooperative framework connecting industries, talent and jobs across Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do, while expanding the foundation for the three regions to grow together as a single employment and living region.

A “Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongsangnam-do Greater Regional Link Project Policy Forum” will also be held that afternoon, bringing together experts from the central and regional levels to discuss the future direction of greater regional employment policy and areas for future cooperation among Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do.

Mayor Chun Jae-soo said, “Although Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do are divided by administrative boundaries, they form a single living area in which industries, talent, jobs and daily life are closely interconnected. Through the Greater Regional Link Project, we will create diverse employment opportunities that extend beyond regional boundaries.”

He added, “I hope this project will serve as a cornerstone not only for substantive cooperation in employment, but also for Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do to grow together as a greater regional employment ecosystem and expand cooperation across a wide range of fields.”