- The “2026 Next Generation Global Startup & Trade School” homeland visit program brings together 94 participants from 24 countries for six days beginning August 3 -
Incheon Metropolitan City announced that the 24th Next Generation Global Startup & Trade School homeland visit program for overseas Koreans 2026 will be held at the Songdo Campus of Incheon National University from August 3 to 8.
The program invites next-generation overseas Koreans—ranging from 1.5 to 4th generations—from around the world to Korea to cultivate future global business leaders while strengthening their Korean identity. The program has been organized annually since 2003 by the World Federation of Overseas Korean Traders Associations (World-OKTA). This year, Incheon is co-hosting the program with World-OKTA and Incheon National University to strengthen ties with next-generation overseas Koreans as a valuable global talent pool and further enhance Incheon’s standing as a global city.
A total of 94 participants are taking part in this year’s program, including 73 young overseas Koreans from 24 countries and 21 undergraduate and graduate students from Korean universities. This year, Korean university students are also participating, providing opportunities to build global networks and strengthen the foundation for future cooperation through exchanges with next-generation overseas Korean business leaders from around the world.
Participants will take part in a wide range of activities, including special lectures by invited speakers, team discussions and presentations, industrial site visits, lectures on successful startup case studies by Incheon entrepreneurs, and programs exploring the city’s history and culture.
On the third day of the program, participants will visit the DHL Incheon Airport Gateway at the cargo terminal of Incheon International Airport and the Incheon Robot Tower in Cheongna International City. The visits will give participants firsthand experience of Incheon’s future industries through tours of advanced logistics systems and cutting-edge robotics facilities.
On the fifth day, August 7, participants will visit the Michuhol Traditional Food Culture Institute at the Wolmi Traditional Park and the Korean Emigration History Museum, where they will make traditional Korean rice cakes, learn about Korea’s first official emigration history, and gain a deeper understanding of Incheon’s history and culture. They will then ride the Wolmi Sea Train to observe the city’s development.
In a video message delivered during the opening ceremony, Mayor Park Chan-dae said, “I am delighted to welcome you back to Incheon for the third time. This year, with Korean university students joining the program, there will be even greater opportunities to build partnerships that reach across the globe.” He added, “I hope the connections formed through this program will grow into a global economic network connecting Korea with the rest of the world. We will also further strengthen economic cooperation with overseas Koreans through the successful hosting of this September’s World Korean Business Convention in Songdo.”
