Busan to hold maritime town hall meeting open to 100 residents

Busan is set to hold a maritime-themed town hall meeting under the slogan "Building Busan, South Korea's Ocean Capital, Together with Citizens." The city announced Friday it is accepting applications from 100 residents to attend the event, scheduled for 2 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Grand Ballroom on the 22nd floor of Asti Hotel Busan, with the application period running through Sept. 6.

The event marks the first town hall meeting since Mayor Jeon Jae-soo took office, bringing together about 50 experts and field practitioners alongside residents to explore the future of Busan as South Korea's ocean capital and the direction of key maritime policies under the theme "Finding Answers for Busan's Future in the Sea."

The program will proceed in four parts: an opening ceremony, a vision presentation titled "Busan, Ocean Capital — Speaking to the Future," a policy recommendations session titled "Busan, Ocean Capital — Proposals from the Field," and an open dialogue between the mayor and residents titled "Citizens Ask, the Mayor Answers."

Five agenda items will anchor the discussion: establishing Busan as the national hub for maritime policy, building a global maritime business ecosystem, strengthening competitiveness in global shipping and logistics, fostering future maritime industries, and positioning Busan as a leading city on the Arctic shipping route. The city said it will treat these five policy priorities as the central topics for expert recommendations and public engagement, while accepting residents' questions and policy proposals without restriction to any particular field.

The open dialogue segment will feature around 10 questions in total — five submitted in advance at the time of registration, three taken from the floor on the day of the event, and two drawn from real-time comments on the Busan Tube online channel — through which the mayor and residents will communicate directly. The format is designed to go beyond giving a voice only to those physically present, incorporating pre-submitted questions and real-time online participation to capture the views of residents from all walks of life.

Residents wishing to attend can apply by scanning the QR code on promotional materials posted on the city's official website and social media channels. The city said it will select participants with attention to diversity and representation, taking into account age, gender, area of residence and fields of interest, and will send mobile invitations to those selected on Sept. 9.

Starting with this maritime-focused session, the city plans to hold additional town hall meetings on other key municipal issues, including culture. Expert recommendations and public opinions gathered at each session will be shared with the relevant city departments for policy review and follow-up action.

"The more important the policy shaping Busan's future, the more essential it is to listen directly to residents and find answers together," Mayor Jeon said. "I will listen broadly to expert and field recommendations as well as the diverse views of residents at this town hall meeting, and faithfully incorporate them into policy as we build Busan — South Korea's ocean capital — together with our citizens."