A promotional poster advertising cultural exchange programs, K-pop events and career tracks for international students at Busan Asiad Auxiliary Stadium. Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan City
Looking to convert international students into permanent residents, Korea’s second-largest city is launching a major cultural festival, pairing its pitch for regional settlement with the gravitational pull of K-pop.
Busan will host the 2026 Foreign Student Festival, Saturday, at Busan Asiad Auxiliary Stadium, the Busan Metropolitan City said Friday.
Operating under the banner "Stay in Busan, Connecting the World," the festival is strategically synchronized with the Busan One Asia Festival, a massive K-pop concert drawing thousands of international fans to the main stadium. By placing the student event directly in the concert's holding area, city officials hope to spark natural networking between local residents, international tourists and the city’s foreign students.
The initiative comes as provincial Korean cities grapple with steep demographic declines, prompting local governments to aggressively pursue efforts to recruit and retain international students to stabilize regional labor markets.
