JEJU-DO < invest Korea

Jeju is actively promoting the establishment of public workation offices to bolster its competitiveness among the leading workation destinations in Korea. The initiative aims to solidify Jeju's status as a "mecca" for workations, ultimately fostering opportunities for business attraction and growth. Distinguished by clear differentiation and collaboration networks from existing private workation facilities, the newly renovated public workation office in Seogwipo Innovation City has opened its doors. Additional offices are being established in Jeju City's old downtown area and along the coastal road in Hamdeok-ri. Beyond the conventional concept of balancing work and relaxation, the public workation offices, directly operated and managed by Jeju Province, are anticipated to serve as a testbed for corporate relocation and decentralization, as well as a gateway for IT-based new industry ventures.

A briefing session on the business environment and workation in Jeju for local companies held at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore 

Jeju Province inaugurated its Singapore office on June 23, showcasing the allure of pristine Jeju as a global resort destination. Subsequently, on October 25, the province conducted a "Seminar on Jeju Business Environment and Workation" targeting 38 local Singaporean companies. The seminar introduced the diverse possibilities of Jeju, sharing the outcomes of the ongoing "Carbon Free Island (CFI) 2030" initiative and providing insights into promising new industries gaining significant attention in the region, such as energy transformation, urban air mobility (UAM), and the establishment of a global green hydrogen hub. Leveraging Jeju's status as a hub for workations in South Korea, the province proposed Jeju workation offices as an optimal platform for Singaporean companies exploring the Korean and Jeju markets and explained the associated programs.

Among workation offices in Jeju, globally recognized for its natural environment, tourism appeal, and excellent IT infrastructure, the province has carefully selected locations for public workation offices. These locations aim to help businesses explore possibilities such as corporate decentralization, relocation, and branching. With a national fund of KRW 3.07 billion (Rural Extinction Prevention Fund), Jeju is developing public workation offices at three locations: Seogwipo Innovation City, Jeju City's old downtown, and the coastal road in Hamdeok-ri. 

The recently remodeled public workation office on the second floor of the Seogwipo Complex Innovation Center is designed to maximize convenience for both companies and workers. Various facilities, spaces, and equipment have been established to ensure a seamless experience for remote work, minimizing any sense of disconnection for those working from the capital region's headquarters. Security measures, including individual offices for each company, additional installation of security systems, smart office furniture, a community space for inter-company communication, and video conferencing rooms for virtual meetings, are also provided.

View of Seogwipo Workation Public Office 

Jeju public workation offices actively support workation from a corporate perspective. Unlike past uses of workations for employee welfare or recharging, these offices offer an opportunity for companies based in the capital area to test scenarios such as relocation, decentralization, and overseas expansion, as well as establishing a future-oriented work environment. In particular, there is a growing interest from IT companies that can benefit from separate operations in using the space. Jeju workation is also expected to increase the satisfaction of employees working in the workation public offices while attracting more businesses to the island.

Workation Public Office to Be Opened in Jeju City 

In addition to the public workation office in Seogwipo, preparations are underway to open another office through a long-term lease of a portion of the former Korea Theater, a landmark in the old downtown area of Jeju City. This location, with support for accommodation partnerships within the downtown area, cultural heritage sites such as Jeju Mokgwana (Former Jeju Government Office), and daily convenience facilities like Jeju Dongmun Traditional Market, is well-prepared for seamless operation of various experiential programs. This could lead to an increase in the resident population of workation participants. Furthermore, Jeju Province has announced its commitment to the eighth-term local government pledge, "Creating a Global Workation Hub and Fostering the Resident-Led Workation Industry," by 2026. To fulfill this promise, the province selected a government-owned site for a public office in the eup (town) and myeon (township) areas in the coastal road near Hamdeok Beach and is undergoing the approval process for the use of public property. Construction of a two-story structure is set to be completed by the end of 2024. Located in Hamdeok, equipped with accommodation facilities, restaurants, and other essential amenities, the building is planned to be used as a workation location offering a diverse range of Jeju's characteristics and as the main workation office for the eup-myeon areas.

In Korea, the term "workation" is synonymous with Jeju for both companies and workers. However, if confined to mere relaxation, the impact might be limited. Beyond providing a different working environment for individual employees, the infrastructure of the public Jeju Workation office is appealing as a testing ground for remote work and local and international expansion. Public workation offices in Jeju look forward to assisting outstanding companies and talents from the capital area in unlocking new business opportunities while serving as a gateway for overseas companies entering the Korean market.