24th World Korean Business Convention Opens Today in Incheon — 3,000 Attendees, Investment Briefing for Overseas Koreans on the 30th

The 24th World Korean Business Convention opened on 28 September at Songdo Convensia in Incheon and runs for three days through 30 September. About 3,000 people are attending — 1,000 overseas Korean business people and 2,000 domestic business people. Held under the slogan “An Irreplaceable Korea, Moving Forward with 7 Million Overseas Koreans,” the convention is the flagship event of ‘World Korean Week 2026’ (27 Sept–1 Oct). On the 30th, the city of Incheon will also hold an investment briefing for overseas Korean entrepreneurs.

By the editorial desk

Hosted by the Incheon Metropolitan City government, the convention runs for three days, from 28 to 30 September, at Songdo Convensia. According to Gukje News (28 September 2026), about 3,000 domestic and overseas Korean business people are attending; a Segye Ilbo affiliate (28 September) reported the breakdown as 1,000 overseas Korean business people and 2,000 domestic business people. The official opening ceremony will be held on 29 September, featuring a celebratory performance by the Incheon City Dance Company.

A trade exhibition runs alongside the convention. According to the Segye Ilbo affiliate, the exhibition spans 400 booths and more than 300 companies, with host city Incheon itself taking part through 120 booths — 110 for local companies and 10 for a city promotion pavilion. Side events during the convention include the World Korean Community Leaders' Convention, the World Korean Convention, the World Korean Next Generation Convention, industrial tours and a concert.

Incheon Mayor Park Chan-dae said he hopes overseas Korean business people and domestic small and medium-sized enterprises will “actually connect, leading to real outcomes such as investment and exports” (Gukje News). The convention was organized to coincide with World Korean Week 2026, running from 27 September to 1 October.

On the 30th: an investment briefing for overseas Korean entrepreneurs

On 30 September, the third day of the convention, at 11 a.m., Incheon will hold an investment briefing at the Premier Ballroom of Songdo Convensia. Organized jointly by the Incheon Investment Promotion Division, the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority (IFEZ) and Incheon Technopark, the briefing is expected to draw about 160 attendees — overseas Korean business people, domestic and international buyers, and members of Incheon's Overseas Korean Support and Cooperation Committee. The city plans to present promising investment areas including bio, intelligent robotics and aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), as well as old-town and new-town development projects, aiming to channel the capital and networks of overseas Korean business people into local investment. Advance registration through the 24th World Korean Business Convention's organizing office is required to attend.

What Korean businesses in China should check

First, check the ways to participate and network in advance. The convention has already opened but continues through the 30th, so even businesses in Tianjin and elsewhere in China who cannot attend in person right away should keep an eye on follow-up matching programs announced after the convention, and on networking opportunities through Incheon City and the Overseas Koreans Agency.

Second, note the target industries named for the investment briefing. The bio, intelligent robotics, aircraft MRO and urban development sectors highlighted at this briefing offer a useful reference for Korean businesses in China considering diversification, or a return to or dual investment in Korea.

Third, turn the convention's theme of “connection as outcome” into an actual meeting. As Mayor Park Chan-dae noted, the convention's goal is real connection between overseas Korean business people and domestic firms. Rather than stopping at an exchange of business cards or a general expression of interest, requesting an individual meeting timed to a trip home is the more concrete way to turn that connection into results.

※ This article was auto-drafted from Gukje News, Incheon Segye Ilbo and Joongdo Ilbo reports dated 22–28 September 2026. Editorial review is required before publication.