Jeonbuk Kicks Off Startup City Push; Startup Expo Opens at Jeonju Hanok Village

Startup City task force officially launched; startup hubs linking Jeonju, Iksan and Gunsan to be established
360 startups and around 50 investors to participate; 600 billion won in government support expected

Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province has set out to build a regional startup ecosystem to nurture startups and attract investment. It has officially launched the Startup City Promotion Task Force and begun work on creating startup hubs linking Jeonju, Iksan and Gunsan, while also seeking selection for the government's Startup City project.

At the 11th Startup Jeonbuk Startup Expo, held in Jeonju Hanok Village on the 6th, attendees including Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Governor Lee Wontaek, Ministry of SMEs and Startups Director Mok Seunghwan, and Korea Development Bank Chairman Park Sangjin took part in a launch ceremony for the Startup City Promotion Task Force. Photo by Jeonbuk Provincial Government

On November 6, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province opened the 11th Startup Jeonbuk Startup Expo at Jeonju Hanok Village and held a ceremony to launch the Startup City Promotion Task Force. The event was co-hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and Jeonju City, with startup support organizations in the province, including the Jeonbuk Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, taking part. It was organized as part of the 2026 J-Startup Festa.

This year's expo, themed "A Leap Toward a Startup City: Bringing Tech and Local Communities Together," focused on showcasing technology-based startups and business models that leverage local resources. The task force will be led by Jeonbuk Province and operate through a three-way partnership centered on Jeonju and Iksan and linking them with Gunsan's industrial base. Its goal is to harness each region's industrial and research capabilities to nurture startups and create an environment that supports the entire process, from technology development to commercialization and investment attraction.

This year's event will bring together about 500 participants, including 360 startups, around 50 investors and four large and mid-sized companies taking part in open innovation.

Over the past 10 years, a cumulative total of around 500 companies have participated in the expo, which has drawn about 30,000 visitors. Some 300 investor relations (IR) presentations and investment consultations have also been held, and the event has established itself as a venue connecting local startups with investors, with around 40 partner organizations taking part.

During the event, around 50 programs linked to the 10 key tasks for building a startup city will be held.

In the investment sector, company presentations will be held in areas including ▲Startup-Bus ▲TIPS ▲deep tech ▲tourism and ▲youth entrepreneurship. To promote technological and business cooperation between companies, the event will feature exhibition booths with participation from companies including Hyosung and LS Mtron, as well as the "JB Open Innovation Day" business consultation event.

Jeonbuk Province is preparing a project plan to seek selection for the "Startup City Development Project," announced by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups on October 23.

A startup city is a regional hub where the resources needed to start a business, including talent, technology and capital, come together to support company formation and growth. If selected, the project is expected to receive around 600 billion won in support over four years by combining government funding with local resources.

Lee Wontaek, Governor of Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, said, "This is an opportunity to showcase, both domestically and internationally, Jeonbuk's potential for innovative startups rooted in the convergence of tech and local communities. With the Startup City Promotion Task Force at the center, we will continue working to bring together the province's innovation leaders and help Jeonbuk become one of Korea's leading startup cities."

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