Geumcheon-gu announced Friday that it held the "2026 G-Valley AI Smart Workathon Competition" at the Geumcheon-gu Corporate Citizens' Hall.
The competition was a hands-on contest in which participants used AI to solve real workplace challenges within four hours, designed to accelerate the AI transformation of local businesses. It was jointly hosted by Geumcheon-gu, AI Smart Work Hub (AISH), Dongyang Mirae University, the University of Seoul, the Geumcheon-gu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Korea Software Human Resources Development Institute.
A defining feature of the competition was its integration with the district's ongoing AI smart work education program, which supports small and medium-sized enterprises in adopting AI-driven work practices. The smart work education program aims to strengthen participants' ability to use generative AI and improve workplace productivity.
The competition drew graduates from the first through 12th cohorts of the smart work education curriculum, making it a comprehensive program that goes beyond conventional training.
Business owners, member companies and partner firms from G-Valley also took part, with a total of 15 teams and about 100 participants competing in AI practical skills.
Participants were divided into team and individual events, where they produced AI-generated content and proposals and were assessed on their ability to use AI tools. The team event evaluated collaborative problem-solving and presentation skills, while the individual event assessed participants' understanding of generative AI and their ability to apply it in real work settings.
Judges selected 10 outstanding teams in the team event and three top performers in the individual event, awarding a total of 13 prizes. The grand prize — presented as the Geumcheon-gu District Mayor's Award — went to the team judged to have demonstrated the strongest practical AI skills.
Category awards were presented in the names of the heads of the co-hosting organizations, adding further prestige to the recognition.
The district said the competition served as an opportunity to share the results of its AI smart work education efforts and to spread best-practice examples of AI use.
Going forward, the district plans to continue supporting efforts to strengthen the AI competitiveness of G-Valley businesses and build out an AI ecosystem, drawing on an industry-academia-government cooperation framework involving companies, universities and specialist institutions.
"I hope this competition will serve as a catalyst for raising companies' AI capabilities and competitiveness, and for accelerating the digital transformation of local industry," Geumcheon-gu District Mayor Choi Ki-chan said. "We will actively support the development of G-Valley into an AI smart work ecosystem that represents the best of South Korea."
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