Gunsan City announced on the 29th that it has been selected for the second consecutive year for the '2026 Preliminary International Conference Zone Activation Support Project' by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. With this selection, the city has secured up to 100 million won in national funds and plans to strengthen the foundation for leaping into a global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) city by continuing the project from this year until next year.

This year, Gunsan City has expanded its online and offline promotional base for attracting international conferences by establishing a multilingual online community for the preliminary international conference zone, operating a promotional booth for the Korea MICE Expo (KME), conducting outreach briefings and fam tours, and forming the Gunsan MICE Alliance.

Next year, the city will focus on enhancing its competitive edge in attracting conferences by concentrating on activities such as creating service manuals, organizing fam tours for international conference participants, and operating support programs for attracting international conferences. Additionally, the city plans to simultaneously develop a sustainable MICE ecosystem by advancing the MICE Alliance and fostering specialized personnel through regional talent education.

Lee Heon-hyeon, head of the Employment and Economy Department, stated, "The project is yielding tangible results," and expressed, "In 2026, we will further enhance the competitiveness of the MICE city through various activities." Gunsan City is currently exploring ways to establish itself as a differentiated preliminary international conference city by combining its historical and cultural tourism resources with MICE infrastructure.