Gangneung, which successfully hosted the 2026 ITS World Congress — dubbed the "advanced transportation Olympics" following the city's 2018 Winter Olympics — has been named ITS City of the Year by the Korea Intelligent Transport Systems Society for its role as a model smart-mobility city.
The award will be presented Thursday at the 2026 Korea ITS Society Autumn Academic Conference, held at Halla Convention Center at Jeju Halla University. The recognition reflects Gangneung's sustained efforts to adapt to changes in the future transportation industry and establish itself as a leading ITS city.
Organized by the Korea ITS Society, the three-day conference runs Thursday through Saturday under the theme "Physical AI Meets ITS." About 500 participants from ITS-related agencies, companies, academia and local governments are expected to attend to discuss the future direction of intelligent transport systems.
The ITS City Award is presented to local governments that have contributed to the advancement of intelligent transport systems. Previous recipients include Suwon Special City and Anyang in 2023, and Paju in 2025. This year, Gangneung earned the honor in recognition of its successful hosting of the 2026 Gangneung ITS World Congress.
The 2026 Gangneung ITS World Congress, held Oct. 19 to 23, brought together domestic and international ITS stakeholders to share advances in cutting-edge transportation technology and future mobility.
During the conference, Gangneung will take part in a special session on the role and development of local government ITS, discussing cooperation with ITS agencies and other municipalities and sharing the latest trends in AI-based traffic safety and video analytics.
"This ITS City Award is a precious achievement made possible by the citizens, related organizations and public officials who worked hard to make the 2026 Gangneung ITS World Congress a success," said Kang Geun-seon, head of the Special Autonomy Promotion Team. "Building on the experience and results gained from hosting the World Congress, we will work to develop a sustainable intelligent transport system and create a future transportation environment that citizens can truly feel."
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