Ministry of Land event spans autonomous driving to smart transit hubs
The 2026 Gangneung ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) World Congress, showcasing a full range of advanced intelligent transport system technologies — from smart transit hubs and autonomous driving to license plate recognition — will be held for five days starting Monday at Gangneung Olympic Park.
The event brings together governments, businesses, academic institutions and research organizations from around the world to share policy developments and research findings and exchange the latest technologies. It is the third time South Korea has hosted the congress, following Seoul in 1998 and Busan in 2010.
The congress is themed "Beyond Mobility, Connected World" and will feature 193 academic sessions, 428 exhibition booths, and programs including technology demonstrations and field tours. Highlights include ITS operational technologies such as traffic signal control and real-time traffic information management at urban information centers, as well as smart transit hubs, AI-guided parking, parking robots and license plate recognition systems.
The congress is expected to serve as a global forum for discussing the convergence of advanced technologies — including autonomous driving and digital infrastructure — with transport systems, with a particular focus on AI-based ITS, and for charting the future direction of ITS development.
The event is also expected to give South Korea an opportunity to showcase the ITS policy expertise and technological capabilities it has built up over the years, while helping domestic companies expand into overseas markets and pursue new business opportunities. A pan-government export support body will introduce a range of export assistance and export financing programs for ITS companies and regional businesses, working alongside seven agencies: KOTRA, the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), the Export-Import Bank of Korea, the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE), the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund and the Korea Technology Finance Corporation.
During the congress, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Hong Ji-seon will host a high-level meeting attended by ministers, vice ministers and senior officials from international organizations, where participants will discuss policy approaches to advancing intelligent transport systems under the theme "Future Transport Innovation Through AI-Based ITS."
Ha Jung-woo, vice chairman of the National AI Strategy Committee, will deliver a keynote address outlining how the integration of AI and ITS will transform transportation in the future.
"ITS is evolving beyond simple traffic management into a core field reshaping the future of transportation through its convergence with advanced technologies such as autonomous driving and AI," Minister Hong said. "I hope this congress gives the public a chance to experience ITS technology firsthand in their daily lives and to feel more familiar with the changes coming to future transportation."
The congress is co-chaired by the minister of land, infrastructure and transport and the mayor of Gangneung, with the president of the Korea Expressway Corporation serving as organizing committee chair. Hyundai Motor Company is heading the external cooperation committee.
smh@heraldcorp.com
