South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has moved quickly to rally the nation’s biggest businesses behind a shared economic goal: creating more opportunities for young people and spreading investment beyond the Seoul-centered growth model. In a high-profile gathering at the Blue House, the president hosted a “Corporate Roundtable on Youth Employment and Expanded Regional Investment,” inviting executives from South Korea’s 10 largest conglomerates as well as key figures from the financial sector.
The meeting brought together top leadership from major companies such as Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, and LG Group, signaling the administration’s intent to make youth jobs and regional development a national priority driven by both public and private action. President Lee emphasized that government policy alone isn’t enough to solve structural challenges like youth unemployment and uneven economic concentration. He called on companies to actively partner with the government to expand hiring pathways, strengthen entrepreneurship programs, and invest more widely across regional cities and provinces.
At the center of the discussion was the need to translate corporate scale into broader social impact. Youth employment was framed not only as a labor-market issue but as a long-term competitiveness challenge: helping young Koreans secure stable careers, develop in-demand skills, and participate in the next phase of the country’s growth. The roundtable also highlighted entrepreneurship as a key lever, encouraging cooperation that can make it easier for young founders to start businesses, secure financing, and build sustainable operations.
Regional investment was another major focus, reflecting growing pressure to address economic imbalance between the capital region and other parts of the country. With conglomerates and financial institutions in the room, the administration’s message was clear: new investment, job creation, and business expansion should not be limited to the traditional hubs. By encouraging companies to expand operations and support local ecosystems, the government aims to stimulate stronger regional economies, improve quality of life outside the capital area, and reduce the long-term social strain created by migration toward Seoul.
The Blue House roundtable positions the Lee administration’s economic strategy as a cooperative effort—one that relies on the influence of South Korea’s largest corporations and the financing power of the financial sector to deliver tangible results. As the government pushes for youth employment initiatives, entrepreneurship support, and expanded regional investment, the outcomes of these discussions could shape hiring trends and development priorities across the country in the months ahead.
