Agencies sign MOU to advance AI services in infrastructure sector, collaborate on public mobility solutions
South Korea's rail and aviation sectors have joined forces to develop AI-powered mobility services for the public.
Korea Railroad Corp. (Korail) announced Tuesday that it co-hosted the Naeilro Hackathon 2026 with Incheon International Airport Corp. from Aug. 12 to 15, and signed a memorandum of understanding to advance AI service innovation in the social overhead capital (SOC) infrastructure sector.
The hackathon was held at Incheon Airport's Aviation Training Center under the theme of "AI service ideas connecting railway and aviation data for the public."
After a preliminary round that drew roughly 70 teams of university students and members of the general public, 12 finalists presented their ideas and demonstrated their services.
Participants proposed new AI service concepts using public data and AI technology from the airport and railway sectors, aimed at resolving inconveniences travelers face and improving passenger mobility.
During the final round, participants refined their ideas through expert mentoring by field specialists and received tailored consulting on AI technology application to sharpen the quality of their proposed services.
Two teams took the top prize in the overall competition. The Yeongmasal team won for developing a "travel guide curated by music taste," while the Deureureuk team claimed the other grand prize for a "railway congestion prediction service based on luggage wheel noise."
Alongside the competition, Korail and Incheon International Airport Corp. signed an MOU to establish an "SOC AI Innovation Council," building a cooperative framework to identify public-oriented mobility services based on public data from Korea's railway and airport sectors.
The two organizations will work together to explore ways to link and utilize their respective transportation, logistics and facility data, develop collaborative AI service models, and seek to bring the standout ideas from the hackathon to life.
"In line with a new normal where survival without AI is impossible, we will lead AI innovation across Korea's key national transportation networks — rail and aviation — and improve the public's travel experience," Korail President Kim Tae-seung said. "We will actively draw on ideas from actual users to drive AI service innovation that people can feel in their daily lives."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
