Nine universities from Daejeon and the Chungcheong region to participate, boosting city's profile as a global festival destination
Daejeon, which has positioned itself as a welcoming city for international students, is organizing a unity event to help foreign students enrolled at local universities settle in and adapt to life in the region.
The city announced Thursday that the "2026 Foreign Student Hanmaeum Games" will be held Saturday at the indoor gymnasium of KT Corp's Human Resources Development Institute. The event is hosted by the Daejeon Metropolitan City Social Service Agency and organized by the Daejeon Foreign Residents Integrated Support Center.
About 900 participants are expected, including international students from roughly 40 countries and university staff from nine institutions across Daejeon and the Chungcheong region — Chungnam National University, Hanbat National University, Hannam University, Daejeon University, Woosong University, Mokwon University, Pai Chai University, Joongbu University and Konyang University.
The program opens with a ceremony and moves through side events, team competitions, a talent show and an awards ceremony. Six team events are on the schedule — including a wind-squad relay, a suspension bridge challenge, a pipeline relay and a mission run — alongside a talent showcase in which students representing each university display skills they have honed throughout the year.
Though participants come from different countries and speak different languages, they will cheer each other on in pursuit of team victory, channeling the energy of young people from across the globe.
"We will continue to support a range of programs — cultural experiences, job and startup assistance linked to local companies — so that international students can settle comfortably in Daejeon," a city official said. "We will also do our utmost to develop this event into a signature festival where global youth can connect."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
