GANGNEUNG CITY ENG - 솔향강릉

- From the 16th (Mon), promoting mutual cooperation and full-scale publicity with related agencies through the operation of a Gangneung booth -

 Gangneung-si is enhancing its capabilities to lead the cutting-edge mobility sector and is stepping onto the international stage to actively increase global recognition as the host city for the ‘2026 Gangneung ITS World Congress’.

 Including Mayor Kim Hong-gyu of Gangneung-si, the ITS World Congress officials and related personnel will actively participate in the ‘2023 ITS World Congress’ held in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China from the 16th (Mon) to the 20th (Fri).

    During the congress period, separate from the Korean booth inside the exhibition hall, Gangneung-si will directly operate a promotional booth that can emphasize its unique culture and regional characteristics, as well as the image of a leading mobility city with sufficient capabilities and facilities.

   Mayor Kim Hong-gyu will meet sequentially with the Indonesia and Malaysia ITS APAC Congress BOD (Board of Director), the China ITS Association Chairman, Dubai World Congress officials, and the Japan APAC office chief to actively promote their causes.

 In particular, unlike in past world congresses held in major cities, Gangneung World Congress plans to highlight the advantages of being a relatively small city, providing an opportunity to benchmark a new ITS model suitable for small and medium-sized cities.

Through this strategy, the aim is to expand the ITS-related network and elevate Gangneung-si's international recognition, encouraging more countries and related agencies to actively participate in the ‘2026 Gangneung ITS World Congress’. Meanwhile, there are plans to establish a win-win strategy through mutual cooperation.

 Also, considering that this congress is the last Asian regional world congress before the ‘2026 Gangneung ITS World Congress’, ample sessions and exhibition tours will be utilized to acquire congress operation know-how and grasp the latest ITS policies and technology trends, aiming for thorough congress preparation.

 Mayor Kim Hong-gyu stated, “Gangneung-si has equipped itself with large-scale ITS infrastructure and is proactively constructing an environment friendly to advanced mobility like autonomous vehicles and Urban Air Mobility (UAM), strengthening its image as South Korea’s leading mobility city,” and added, “Through active interaction with various organizations and meticulous preliminary preparations, we will undoubtedly successfully host the 2026 World Congress.”

 Meanwhile, the Suzhou World Congress under the theme 'Toward an Intelligent Society' will be host to about 35 countries, withover 10,000 ITS professionals attending, discussing sustainable development in transportation, cooperative mobility, integrated transportation systems, etc., and conducting various programs such as advanced technology demonstrations and academic presentations.