Daejeon holds 20th annual job fair for people with disabilities

Daejeon city held the "Dream & Job" 2026 Job and Entrepreneurship Fair for People with Disabilities at City Hall on Thursday afternoon, aimed at expanding employment and startup opportunities for people with disabilities.

Now in its 20th year, the fair was hosted by Daejeon city, organized by the Daejeon chapter of the Korea Association for Employment Security of the Disabled, and sponsored by the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities' Daejeon regional office. A total of 815 people took part, including 500 job-seeking people with disabilities and representatives from 20 hiring companies.

At the event, about 380 job-seeking people with disabilities took part in on-site interviews, giving them a direct path to employment and entrepreneurship while offering participating companies a chance to expand their hiring of workers with disabilities.

Daejeon city ran specialized training sessions and mentoring for people with disabilities interested in starting businesses, and provided a range of support services including career counseling, labor consultation, makeup assistance and interview photo shoots.

The city also organized a variety of side events — an experience zone, employment information sessions and an exhibition of award-winning works from the National Skills Competition for People with Disabilities — to help job seekers build their capabilities and prepare for employment.

Lee Seon-min, Daejeon's welfare director, said she hoped the fair would serve as "a solid stepping stone for people with disabilities who wish to find jobs or start businesses," adding that the city would continue to pursue policies promoting economic independence and social integration for people with disabilities.