The Jeju Creative Economy Innovation Center has concluded the ‘THE Jeju Creator’ training program designed to foster region-based local brands and is preparing for an open audition.
On the 18th, ‘J-Class,’ an educational program of the ‘2026 THE Jeju Creator Support Project’ operated in collaboration with Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, concluded. J-Class is an intensive training program designed to strengthen the entrepreneurship and business capabilities of prospective anchor companies ahead of the open audition.
This training program consisted of general training for prospective anchor companies, growth strategy training by company type, and investment and expansion strategy training. A key feature was that it was operated in two tracks, ‘Glocal Anchor’ and ‘Jeju Anchor,’ tailored to the business directions of the participating companies.
In the Glocal Anchor Track, CEO Ban Chung-yeon shared strategies for local brands to expand overseas based on the global food market and consumption trends by country. In the Jeju Anchor Track, CEO Kim Bong-hyun delivered a lecture focusing on the growth cases of Jeju local brands.
“Directly Evaluated by Residents”… Strengthening Jeju-style Local Startup Ecosystem
During the common training session, CEO Go Eun-sook gave a lecture on the role of anchor companies within the local ecosystem and entrepreneurship, while Managing Partner Yoo Dong-ki continued with presentations on post-investment growth strategies and designing a sustainable roadmap.
The Jeju Center recruited participating companies starting last March and selected a total of 27 companies through document evaluation. The selected companies are strengthening their business capabilities by participating in audition preparation programs, including J-Class.
The final selection will be conducted through an open audition held at BeIN in Jeju City from June 16 to 17. The audition will be conducted in a format where participating companies present their business models via IR pitching. The venue will be designed with an airport boarding gate and airplane cabin concept, themed around “A Journey to Discover Jeju Local Brands.”
The Provincial Resident Evaluation Panel system will also be fully introduced for the first time at this event. The Jeju Center plans to build a local startup ecosystem that grows together with the community by selecting anchor companies that resonate directly with Jeju residents, alongside expert evaluations.
CEO Lee Byeong-seon said, “I hope this J-Class will serve as a practical foundation for companies that will grow based on Jeju’s unique local content,” adding, “The open audition in June will be a festival to discover Jeju’s future creators together with the residents.”
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