Under the Theme "Global Cities: Connecting the Future"
Jeonju City in North Jeolla Province announced on September 4 that it will host the '2025 Jeonju Future City Forum' at the Jeonju Lahan Hotel from September 18 to 19.
This forum, under the theme "Global Cities: Connecting the Future," is designed to share strategies and examples of sustainable cities, explore the future direction of global cities together, and discuss solutions to various urban challenges.
The forum, co-hosted with the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), will feature five sessions: ▲Cultural Cities ▲City Branding ▲AI Innovation ▲Youth Future Lab (Population Crisis) ▲Citizen Future Lab (Eco-friendly Transportation).
On the opening day, September 18, the event will begin with an opening ceremony and keynote speeches by Mario Santana Quintero, researcher at the UNESCO International Centre for the Interpretation and Presentation of World Heritage Sites, and Choi Jaecheon, chairman of the Biodiversity Foundation, who will address sustainable urban development and global solidarity, respectively.
In the following session, "Cultural Cities, Global Renaissance," Kim Hyunhwan, professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, will serve as moderator, with panelists including Pierre Morcos, Cultural Counselor at the French Cultural Center, Oh Youngjae, professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Kim Jigyo, CEO of the Cultural Heritage Technology Research Institute, and Kim Youngjun, a Najeon artist. They will discuss the roles of cultural cities and artists in the era of the global renaissance.
The final session of the first day, "City Branding and Design: The Rebirth of Cities," will be moderated by Jang Dongryeon, professor at Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies, a leading expert in city branding. Participants will include architect Yoo Hyunjun and Isabel Moreira da Silva, Head of Public Relations for Porto City, which is recognized as a successful example of city branding. The session will focus on strategies for building global competitiveness and maintaining sustainability through city branding and design.
Of particular note, the forum's second day, September 19, will focus on "AI," one of the hottest topics both in Korea and globally.
This session will be moderated by Steve Park, professor at KAIST Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Speakers include Jang Youngjae, professor at KAIST Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and head of the national Physical AI project; Lee Jieun, head of AI/Data Development at Simsys Global; and Manuel Madani, head of the Southeast Asia branch of Priva, a Dutch smart farm company.
Additionally, Park Chanhee, professor at Chonbuk National University Department of Mechanical Design Engineering, will join as a panelist to discuss strategic directions for cities to respond to the AI era.
In the subsequent "Youth Future Lab" session, Min Kyungjung, professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, will serve as moderator. Speakers include Bernadia Tjandradewi, Secretary-General of UCLG ASPAC (United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific), Wutanki, Vice President of Temasek Polytechnic in Singapore, Jeon Sohyun, local experience designer, Yuldashev Akmaljon, an international student at Chonbuk National University, and Lee Hyunjae, CEO of Yes Future.
Choi Seoyeon, a member of the Jeonju City Council, will also participate as a panelist to share specific cases and actionable ideas for the coexistence of youth and cities in an era of population crisis.
For this forum, the city will collect ideas on "coexistence between youth and cities" during pre-registration for the Youth Future Lab, seeking to understand what young people want and how their lives can be improved. Outstanding ideas will be selected and awarded.
This year, a new feature of the forum is the addition of the "Citizen Future Lab." In this session, Park Yongnam, director of the Center for Sustainable Cities, and Baek Miyoung, head of the Bus Policy Division at Jeonju City, will introduce advanced eco-friendly transportation policies and Jeonju's plans for building a hydrogen energy-based Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
Notably, in the Citizen Future Lab, 100 citizens will participate to assess transportation transition challenges for responding to the global climate crisis and securing urban sustainability from the citizens' perspective. Through group discussions, they will generate citizen-driven ideas for future transportation policies and explore directions for citizen-led transportation transformation. The city plans to incorporate outstanding ideas from this session into municipal policies and initiatives.
Kim Sumi, Director of International Cooperation for Jeonju City, stated, "Now in its third year, the Jeonju Future City Forum marks the starting point for designing a sustainable future through solidarity and cooperation among global cities. We will develop it into a global urban policy platform that realizes diversity and sustainability in cities. We ask for the interest and active participation of many citizens in this forum, which will shape Jeonju's future."
Meanwhile, citizens wishing to participate in the "Jeonju Future City Forum 2025" can apply through the official website.
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