2025 Yeosu Local Forum to Be Held: "Connecting Yeosu's Islands, Sea, and Local"

Next Local Seoul Startup Teams and Yeosu Local Entrepreneurs Join the Forum

Yeosu City in South Jeolla Province announced that "Yeongwajeom Haru" will host the "Yeosu: Connecting Islands, Sea, and Local - 2025 Yeosu Local Forum" at 3 p.m. on December 2 at the Mathieu Hotel.

This forum aims to share the perspectives of various local entrepreneurs who view Yeosu deeply and with fresh eyes, and to build a sustainable local network.

'2025 Yeosu Local Forum' poster. Provided by Yeosu City

The event is a local coexistence program promoted by the Yeosu City Urban Regeneration Support Center in connection with the Seoul Next Local project. It serves as an opportunity to showcase in Yeosu the achievements of this region-linked initiative, which provides Seoul youth with opportunities to start businesses in local areas.

In the Next Local Yeosu segment, two out of five teams from Phase 1-"Yeongwajeom Haru" and "21st Century Jumak"-were selected for Phase 2 and are developing products using Yeosu's local specialties such as anchovies, gamtae (seaweed), and sea breeze mugwort. If they advance to Phase 3, their goal is to register their products as official souvenirs for the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo and to promote sales to cruise ship tourists.

This event is especially meaningful as a follow-up to the "Sweet Alley, Dessert Popup" event held last month by the Yeosu City Urban Regeneration Support Center on the Hanryeo District Traveler's Street, where a network of entrepreneurs was formed and is now being expanded.

The experience of communication among citizens, Seoul youth startup teams, and Yeosu local entrepreneurs at the time has naturally carried over into the preparation of this forum, and is being recognized as an example of the sustainability of regional regeneration.

At the forum, the Next Local teams and Yeosu local entrepreneurs will introduce a variety of local products inspired by Yeosu's islands, sea, ingredients, and lifestyle culture. Diverse local brands will participate, including Cheonga ceramics inspired by the texture of Mosageum Beach sand; 925room, a metal craft team inspired by the legend of Gaedo; Koicafe, a caf? using Geomundo sea breeze mugwort; Bangpungdoga, a local liquor brand from Geumo Island; and bakeries like Yebbangso and Miku, all contributing richness to the event.

Additionally, the Chungmu Saetteul Cooperative, a resident business of the Urban Regeneration Support Center, will showcase upgraded soap, oil, and diffuser products developed through this year's Jeonnam Tourism Dure Project, demonstrating the potential for utilizing local resources and the growth prospects of senior creators.

The Mathieu Hotel, the event venue, is a repurposed space that was originally the Yeosu Tourist Hotel built in 1967, naturally aligning with the purpose of this local forum. It adds meaning as a venue symbolizing the growth of new local brands through the reinterpretation of an old space.

Furthermore, the photo exhibition "The Sea That Breathes for a Long Time - Yeosu Haenyeo, Speaking of the Future of the Sea," which received positive reviews at the Yeosu Expo Gallery, will also be on display. Planned by the local content company "Yeosu-wa," this exhibition documents the lives of island and sea communities, adding historical and cultural depth to the event.

An official from the Yeosu City Urban Regeneration Support Center stated, "Through Next Local, Seoul youth are experiencing Yeosu deeply and forming alliances with Yeosu local entrepreneurs, becoming a model case of sustainable regional regeneration. We hope this forum will serve as an opportunity to present new directions for entrepreneurship utilizing Yeosu's local resources, interregional coexistence, and urban regeneration."