Companies Come Once and Get Hooked... Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Draws Global Attention

"Beyond Attraction: Helping Companies Establish and Reinvest"

Recognized for Supporting Tenant Companies

The Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone has earned international recognition for its aftercare capabilities, which drive growth and reinvestment after companies are attracted to the region.

The Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority, headed by Park Seongho, announced on Oct. 22 that it had been named an outstanding organization in the Aftercare category of the “Global Free Zones of the Year 2026,” published by fDi Intelligence, an investment-focused research organization affiliated with the UK’s Financial Times (FT).

In this year’s evaluation, the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone was recognized alongside Jebel Ali Free Zone, a major logistics and industrial hub in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It received high marks for a support system that goes beyond attracting new companies to help existing tenant companies establish themselves, grow, and reinvest.

In an article on the evaluation published on Oct. 15, fDi Intelligence highlighted aftercare as a key assessment area and introduced the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone’s business support programs. A central factor in the evaluation was its system for not only gauging company satisfaction but also incorporating feedback into actual support policies.

The Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority has operated regular satisfaction surveys, one-on-one consultations with individual companies, meetings with chief executive officers (CEOs), industry forums, and dedicated aftercare programs. Judges praised the authority for establishing a communication system that listens to companies’ on-the-ground concerns and provides support.

The evaluation criteria went beyond the number of consultations or the record of resolving companies’ difficulties. The authority also received high marks for using indicators that reflect satisfaction with business growth and the investment environment, including whether tenant companies reinvest or expand their businesses and whether they would recommend the zone to other companies.

Administrator Park Seongho said, “This recognizes the capabilities of our free economic zone in supporting stable growth and sustained reinvestment, going beyond simply attracting companies.”

Park said the authority would work to develop the zone into a global investment hub where companies want to invest again, in conjunction with future logistics infrastructure such as Busan New Port, Jinhae New Port, and Gadeokdo New Airport.

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