Gwangju Employers Federation and 10 Regional Economic Organizations Hold Joint Labor-Management-Civil-Government New Year's Meeting

The Gwangju Employers Federation and 10 economic organizations and institutions from Gwangju and Jeonnam held the "2026 Gwangju-Jeonnam Labor-Management-Government-Civil Joint New Year's Meeting" rice cake soup sharing event under the slogan "Sharing Joy Together, Opening Tomorrow Together! Soaring Gwangju-Jeonnam." Photo by Gwangju Employers Federation

The Gwangju Employers Federation announced on the 5th that, together with 10 economic organizations and institutions from Gwangju and Jeonnam, it held the "2026 Gwangju-Jeonnam Labor-Management-Civil-Government Joint New Year's Meeting" rice cake soup sharing event.

This event was held under the slogan "Sharing Joy Together, Opening Tomorrow Together! Soaring Gwangju-Jeonnam," with the aim of uniting labor, management, civil society, and government to drive the Gwangju and Jeonnam economies forward with the spirit of the Year of the Fire Horse.

The 2026 joint New Year's meeting for the business community, held on January 2, was the first event of its kind in the country to be hosted in the region. More than 1,800 people attended, including members of local organizations, heads of local governments, affiliated institution leaders, and figures from the political sphere.

Key attendees included Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijung, National Assembly members Park Jie-won, Min Hyungbae, Shin Jeonghoon, Lee Gaeho, Moon Geumjoo, Park Kyuntaek, Jeong Junho, Jo Incheol, Jeon Jinsook, Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Lee Jeongseon, Lee Byeonghun, Senior Vice Chairman of the Democratic Party's Honam Development Special Committee, Im Taek, Mayor of Dong-gu, Kim Ikang, Mayor of Seo-gu, Kim Byeongnae, Mayor of Nam-gu, Moon In, Mayor of Buk-gu, as well as heads of public corporations and institutions under the Gwangju city government.

The event proceeded in the following order: ▲Hope Rice Cake Soup Sharing ▲New Year's greetings and traditional bows from the 10 economic organizations and institutions of Gwangju and Jeonnam ▲Rice cake cutting ceremony and New Year's addresses from key guests.

This New Year's meeting brought together 10 economic organizations and institutions from Gwangju and Jeonnam to exchange New Year's greetings and pledge a strong start to the year. In previous years, about 20 associations, organizations, and institutions in the region held separate events, but this year, the Gwangju Employers Federation and 10 economic organizations and institutions from Gwangju and Jeonnam jointly hosted the event to save costs and promote unity within the business community.

During the event, the presidents of the 10 associations co-hosting the event shared their resolutions for the Year of the Fire Horse in 2026.

Choi Eunmo, Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association Gwangju-Jeonnam Business Council, stated, "We will focus on diversifying export markets for local small and medium-sized enterprises and strengthening overseas marketing capabilities."

Lim Kitaek, Chairman of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Federation of SMEs Convergence, said, "Convergence between different industries is the most certain way for small and medium-sized enterprises to find breakthroughs," adding, "We will focus on promoting multifaceted industry convergence projects and building a collaborative ecosystem."

Park Byeongcheol, Chairman of the Korea Specialty Contractors Association Gwangju Branch, said, "Improving the subcontracting environment and stabilizing management in the specialty construction industry are our top priorities. We will eliminate unreasonable systems and practices, create a fair competitive environment, and enhance the value of the specialty construction industry."

Kang Pilseo, Chairman of the Gwangju Architecture Association, emphasized, "In the new year, we will play a leading role in making Gwangju a refined smart city through innovation in future architectural technologies."

Yang Jinseok, Chairman of the Gwangju Employers Federation, stated, "We will begin 2026 with a strong sense of responsibility for the development and economic resurgence of Gwangju and Jeonnam," and added, "In the new year, we will make even greater efforts to foster a business-friendly environment and a culture of labor-management coexistence."