Gwangmyeong City: "Locally Created Wealth, Reinvested Locally"... Regional Circular Economy International Forum

2026 Gwangmyeong City Regional Community Assetization International Forum to Be Held on the 13th

Experts from the United States, Scotland, and Japan to Participate

Mayor Park Seungwon to Announce the Gwangmyeong Model, Including Plans to Foster 300 Social Solidarity Economy Enterprises

Gwangmyeong City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Park Seungwon), is exploring ways to advance a local circular economy—one in which added value created within the region is consumed, produced, and reinvested locally.

The 2026 Gwangmyeong City Regional Community Assetization International Forum to Be Held on the 13th. Provided by Gwangmyeong City

On the 6th, Gwangmyeong City announced that the "2026 Gwangmyeong City Regional Community Assetization International Forum" will be held at 1:30 p.m. on the 13th in the Grand Ballroom of the L7 Gwangmyeong by Lotte Hotel in Iljik-dong.

Regional community assetization is a strategy that connects local assets and capabilities to create an economic ecosystem where citizens, small business owners, and local companies grow together. This forum will share domestic and international policy cases and discuss practical tasks that local governments can undertake.

Park Seungwon, Mayor of Gwangmyeong City, stated, "If we can effectively connect and nurture our local assets and capabilities, sustainable growth can be achieved through the strength of the region itself. This forum will confirm these possibilities and serve as an opportunity to further develop assetization policies for regional communities."

The first session will address "Domestic and International Trends and Implications for Sustainable Urban Economies." Neil McInroy, International Cooperation Leader of The Democracy Collaborative (TDC) in the United States, who established the Community Wealth Building (CWB) theory, will present on the global spread of relevant policies and their implications.

This will be followed by a presentation from Chris Martin, CEO of Social Enterprise Scotland, on strategies for assetization through the social economy. Professor Hikaru Samuta from Kanazawa University in Japan will introduce directions for developing the Gwangmyeong model based on cases of local circular economies and endogenous growth.

Mayor Park will present on "Gwangmyeong City: Opening an Urban Economy for All," outlining the city’s assetization strategies. Plans to cultivate 300 social solidarity economy enterprises by 2028, expand the share of local and social solidarity economy companies in public procurement, revitalize the local brand "Good Morning Gwangmyeong," and foster regional finance and hub spaces will be discussed.

The second session, titled "Urban Economy for All: Innovation Strategies and Action Tasks," will feature Kim Bora, Mayor of Anseong; Kim Jeseon, Mayor of Jung-gu, Daejeon; and Woo Seunghee, Governor of Yeongam County, each introducing their respective regional cases and achievements.

Afterward, Hanyang University Professor Kim Jonggeol will moderate a panel discussion with the speakers and presenters to deliberate on the issues and the role of local governments in realizing regional community assetization.

Promotional booths in the event lobby will showcase outstanding products and services from Gwangmyeong City's social solidarity economy enterprises. The forum is open to everyone and does not require advance registration.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.