K-ICT WEEK in BUSAN 2026 runs Sept. 9-11 at Bexco under the slogan 'AX Wave in BUSAN, AX Innovation Hub Busan'

Promotional poster for K-ICT WEEK in BUSAN 2026 [Busan city government]
Promotional poster for K-ICT WEEK in BUSAN 2026 [Busan city government]

Busan will host K-ICT WEEK in BUSAN, a comprehensive information and communications technology event, at Bexco's Exhibition Hall 1 from Sept. 9 to 11, the city government announced Monday.

Co-hosted by the Busan city government, the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education and the Ministry of Science and ICT, the three-day event will carry the slogan "AX Wave in BUSAN, AX Innovation Hub Busan" and showcase the AI transformation (AX) ecosystem around three core values: corporate growth, talent retention and civic engagement. This year, a "Busan AI Festival" will run alongside the main event, giving residents hands-on experience with AI technology.

Participating companies include domestic cloud specialists Douzone Bizon, Megazone and Cluckers; AI robot firm JM Robotics; and maritime and logistics IT company Total Soft Bank — drawing major players from both the Busan region and Greater Seoul. Global tech firms will also take part, among them German AI translation company DeepL and Vietnamese IT firm FPT Korea, which will present cutting-edge technologies and global industry trends.

Industry-specific seminars will run throughout the three days, including a Cloud Conference featuring experts from Amazon Web Services, Kakao Enterprise and the National AI Strategy Committee, as well as a Global Age-Tech Forum and a Busan Data Center Tech Summit.

A business consultation program will support local companies in expanding into domestic and overseas markets. Last year's program generated 93.7 billion won ($68.1 million) in buyer consultation value and 37.9 billion won in contract negotiations. This year the program will expand into a customized business-matching service connecting local firms with buyers at home and abroad.

One-on-one matchup sessions will bring together more than 40 global buyers from 15 countries, including Japan and Singapore, along with major domestic conglomerates and public institutions, to help local companies break into export and public-sector markets. The event will be held concurrently with the World Smart City Expo, with a pre-matching system and dedicated consultation booths designed to help business talks progress toward contracts and investment.

In partnership with the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, the event will also present a vision for "a virtuous-cycle ecosystem where talent grows, businesses thrive and citizens benefit together in Busan." An AI Education Hall will involve 51 elementary, middle, high and special-needs schools in the city, giving students outside-the-classroom exposure to AI and ICT industries while laying the groundwork for talent recruitment links with local ICT companies.

"We will build Busan into an AI-leading city where people can learn world-class technology, land jobs at promising companies and settle down comfortably — without having to go to the greater Seoul area," Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said.


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com