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Busan to Host 2026 WAIFC Annual General Meeting, Bringing Together Leaders from Global Financial Centers

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Chun Jae-soo) announced that the “2026 World Alliance of International Financial Centers (WAIFC) Annual General Meeting” will be held tomorrow, September 15, in and around the Busan International Finance Center (BIFC), with major programs including a joint project meeting and the BIFC Global Finance Symposium taking place from today, September 14, through September 17.

Hosted by the World Alliance of International Financial Centers (WAIFC), organized by the Busan Finance Center, and supported by Busan Metropolitan City, the event will bring together WAIFC leadership and its secretariat, delegations from major financial centers around the world, and representatives of domestic and international financial institutions.

Established in 2018 to promote exchanges and cooperation among financial centers, WAIFC is an international network. Busan was selected as the host city for the 2026 Annual General Meeting at the 2024 meeting held in Tokyo, Japan. Through this event, Busan Metropolitan City plans to share policy experience and financial industry trends from leading financial centers worldwide and expand Busan’s maritime finance network.

The main schedule consists of a welcome event for participants, the Young Academic Award, the WAIFC Annual General Meeting and joint project meeting, the signing of memorandums of understanding among international financial centers, dialogue with financial authorities, and the BIFC Global Finance Symposium.

On the first day, September 14, a welcome event will be held at D-Space on the 63rd floor of the Busan International Finance Center to introduce the Busan Financial Hub and provide an opportunity for representatives of financial centers around the world to network.

On September 15, the Young Academic Award event will showcase outstanding financial research by young researchers. This will be followed by the Annual General Meeting, where major WAIFC agenda items and its future direction will be discussed, and a joint project meeting addressing areas of cooperation among member organizations.

On September 16, memorandums of understanding among international financial centers will be signed to broaden the foundation for institutional cooperation. This will be followed by a “Dialogue with Financial Authorities,” where WAIFC delegates and representatives of Korea’s financial authorities will exchange views on major financial policies and changes in the international financial environment and identify potential areas for cooperation.

Site visits will also be conducted. On September 15, participants will visit the Busan Port Authority to review the operational status of Busan Port. On September 17, they will visit Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard to explore opportunities for linking the shipbuilding and maritime industries with finance.

In particular, the BIFC Global Finance Symposium will be held at Nurimaru APEC House on September 16 to examine Busan’s financial competitiveness and explore ways to advance maritime finance. In-depth expert discussions will be held under the theme “Busan’s Strategic Opportunity: Maritime Finance and the Future of the Busan Financial Hub.”

The program will begin with a keynote address by Lim Ki-tack, former Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), followed by a WAIFC roundtable, a Young Academic Award session, and a special address. In particular, Mike Wardle, CEO of the United Kingdom-based Z/Yen Group, will present the results of the 40th Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI). The expert discussion that follows will examine practical measures to develop maritime finance by connecting Busan’s strengths in ports, shipbuilding, and shipping with its financial competitiveness.

Mayor Chun Jae-soo said, “When shipping, ports, logistics, and finance are connected as a single ecosystem, Busan can emerge as a truly global maritime capital.” He added, “Through this Annual General Meeting, we will showcase Busan’s capabilities in finance and the maritime industries to the world, expand our global financial network, and advance Busan as a leading global center for maritime finance.”