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43rd National Abilympics Competition to Be Held in Busan

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced that it will host the 43rd National Abilympics Competition from today, September 15, through September 18 at BEXCO and other venues, creating an opportunity to strengthen the technical capabilities of persons with disabilities and connect those skills to quality jobs and social participation.

Jointly hosted by Busan Metropolitan City and the Ministry of Employment and Labor and jointly organized by the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities and the Korea Association for Employment Promotion of Persons with Disabilities, the 43rd National Abilympics Competition will begin its four-day program with an opening ceremony this afternoon.

Now in its 43rd year, the competition is designed to strengthen the vocational capabilities of skilled persons with disabilities and connect their technical expertise to quality employment and social participation. Competitions will take place at three venues: BEXCO, Korea Polytechnics Busan Campus, and Busan Mechanical Technical High School.

The opening ceremony will be held at 4:00 p.m. today, September 15, in Hall 4E of Exhibition Center 2 at BEXCO.

Approximately 800 people are expected to attend, including the Vice Mayor for Future Innovation of Busan Metropolitan City, the Vice Minister of Employment and Labor, the Deputy Superintendent of Education, competitors, and other officials. The ceremony will begin with the entrance of the delegations, followed by an opening address, words of encouragement, a welcoming address, and the competitors’ oath.

Including preliminary competitions, a total of 477 competitors will compete in 41 events over two days, from tomorrow, September 16, through September 17.

In particular, this year’s competition will go beyond skills contests by offering a diverse range of side events that extend into industrial workplaces and local communities.

The 2026 Busan Career and Job Fair for Persons with Disabilities will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on September 16 at BEXCO Exhibition Center 2. Jointly hosted by Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education and jointly organized by the Busan Integrated Employment Support Center for Persons with Disabilities and the Special Education Support Center of the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education, the fair is designed to support tailored recruitment between job seekers with disabilities and employers, while providing students with disabilities opportunities to explore occupations suited to their aptitudes and plan their career paths.

A total of 65 companies seeking to hire persons with disabilities for office, production, and service positions will participate in the fair, with plans to recruit 225 people. A variety of programs will be offered, including a corporate recruitment zone, vocational experience zone, career planning zone, and employment consulting zone. In particular, 27 companies participating directly will conduct on-site interviews, while 38 companies participating indirectly will accept applications online and on site before conducting interviews according to their respective schedules.

Programs will also offer opportunities to experience a wide range of occupations, including AI-assisted visual artist, woodworking designer, professional organizer, and radio DJ, along with special lectures on employment and further education for persons with disabilities. These programs are intended to support informed occupational choices and career planning. Approximately 2,000 people are expected to attend this year’s fair, including job seekers with disabilities, students with disabilities, participating employers, and relevant officials.

On the same day, the Busan Vocational Rehabilitation Conference for Persons with Disabilities will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon in Hall 4E to share exemplary practices from vocational rehabilitation facilities for persons with disabilities. At 2:00 p.m., the 64th Employment Development Institute Policy Forum of the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities will take place at Haeundae Centum Hotel to discuss measures to promote employment for persons with disabilities.

At 11:00 a.m. on September 18, the final day of the competition, the closing ceremony will feature an awards presentation as well as an exhibition and viewing of award-winning works. The competition will conclude with the ceremonial flag being handed over to Daegu Metropolitan City, the next host city. The Vice Mayor for Administrative Affairs of Busan Metropolitan City and the Minister of Employment and Labor are expected to attend the closing ceremony.

Under the National Technical Qualifications Act, gold, silver, and bronze medalists in each occupational category will be exempted for two years from the date of their award from both the written and practical Craftsman-level examinations in the corresponding occupation. They will also be eligible to participate in the national team selection competition for the 11th International Abilympics, to be held in Helsinki, Finland, in May 2027.

Oh Seok-keun, Vice Mayor for Future Innovation of Busan Metropolitan City, said, “I hope this competition will serve as a valuable platform for discovering the outstanding talents of competitors with disabilities and exploring their potential for career advancement.”

He added, “Busan Metropolitan City will continue working to build a city where persons with disabilities have access to meaningful opportunities and where everyone can fully realize their abilities.”