Pohang City Makes All-Out Effort to Rebrand as a Global Cultural City Centered on MICE

Hosting Signature International Conferences, Accelerating the Leap to a Global MICE City
Mayor Lee Kangdeok: "Communicating Beyond the Region with the World, Toward a Future-Oriented City"

Leading South Korea's industrialization and modernization, Pohang City is making every effort to leap forward as a global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industry hub.

Starting with the groundbreaking of the Pohang International Exhibition and Convention Center in July, Pohang City is building a unique MICE ecosystem and global network, creating a new model for sustainable urban growth.

Lee Kang-deok, Mayor of Pohang, attending the groundbreaking ceremony of Pohang International Exhibition & Convention Center (POEX) held in July last year. Photo by Pohang City

Many countries and cities have already made climate change response a mandatory task for everyone's future, not a choice, by setting global agreements targeting carbon neutrality, transitioning to renewable energy, and establishing sustainable economic models.

In this context, Pohang City is actively preparing to transform from passive participation to becoming a leading city in green transition.

To this end, Pohang will host the World Green Growth Forum (WGGF), an international environmental forum involving the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the only environmental international organization in Korea, and the UN, this year to seek solutions for climate change response and sustainable growth, and to promote a new role as a global MICE hub city.

In November last year, the Pohang city delegation visited the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Geneva office to discuss cooperation plans and took a commemorative photo. Photo by Pohang City

Through this WGGF forum, Pohang plans to announce its carbon neutrality practice vision, appoint Pohang environmental ambassadors, and hold the Pre-UGIH S.I.W. It aims to utilize the forum not just as a climate event but as a platform for exchange among Pohang City, international organizations, and citizens, fostering a global network and establishing it as a signature international conference of Pohang.

Additionally, Pohang is striving to rebrand itself as a global cultural city centered on MICE by building an independent MICE ecosystem that reflects Pohang’s unique characteristics and strengths, moving beyond the existing MICE industry system centered on the Seoul metropolitan area.

To this end, the city plans to launch a foundation corporation in the first half of this year to operate and manage the Pohang International Exhibition and Convention Center (POEX), scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.

The Pohang International Exhibition and Convention Center Foundation Corporation is expected to play a pivotal role in establishing an operation system with professionalism and public interest, strengthening Pohang’s MICE industry foundation.

Moreover, the city is focusing administrative efforts on securing competitiveness in the MICE industry and establishing a virtuous cycle model of ‘talent development - employment - settlement’ in the region.

To this end, Pohang plans to operate a MICE academy in cooperation with local universities, providing long-term training of local MICE professionals, practical MICE education, and employment linkage support.

Furthermore, in the second half of this year, Pohang will host unique MICE events such as the Pohang World Global Village Expo and a digital convergence hackathon for the exhibition industry in collaboration with local universities, dedicating full efforts to leap forward as a global MICE city.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok said, “We will do our best to transform from a steel industry-centered city into an innovative convergence hub for the global MICE industry, communicating with the world beyond the region and becoming a future-oriented city leading sustainable development.”