Busan: Korea's Maritime Capital

The Busan Finance Center (BFC) returns to the City of London for its annual conference on investing in and doing business with Busan. Designated in 2009 as South Korea’s specialized hub for maritime and derivatives finance, Busan reached 22nd out of 117 centres in the September 2026 Global Financial Centres Index, its highest ranking to date. This milestone reflects the rapid expansion of Busan’s financial ecosystem, driven by the completion of BIFC tower 2, the designation of Munhyeon and North Port as Financial Opportunity Development Zones, and the influx of key maritime institutions and industry leaders such as HMM and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. At the same time, Busan is solidifying its position as a digital finance innovator. Recent achievements include preliminary approval for Korea’s first fractional investment OTC exchange by the KDX Consortium, alongside active developments within Busan’s Blockchain Regulation-Free Zone and dedicated policy funds supporting startup scale-ups. The programme will cover recent developments in Busan's maritime industry, maritime finance and wider financial services sector, and the opportunities they create for international firms and investors. Mike Wardle, Chief Executive of Z/Yen Group will chair the conference and the evening ends with a networking reception where guests can meet the speakers and the BFC team. 18:00 - 18:30 Welcome & Registration 18:30 - 18:40 Opening Remarks Mike Wardle, CEO & Chief Of Indices, Z/Yen Group 18:40 - 19:00 Developments In Busan & The Opportunities For International Firms & Investors Euna Kim, Head of IR Team, Busan Finance Center 19:00 - 19:10 A Look At The Work Of KHFC & Wider Korean Market Analysis Seonghoon Yoon, Senior Analyst - Fixed Income, Korea Housing Finance Corporation 19:10 - 19:30 Q&A 19:30 - 20:30 Networking