Gangnam-gu, led by District Mayor Kim Hyun-ki, won the Smart City Award at the 2026 11th Fourth Industrial Revolution Power Korea Expo, held Tuesday at the National Assembly Members' Hall.
Organized by the Korea Press Association, the event recognizes outstanding cases of innovation by companies and institutions that have driven sustainable progress through AI and information and communications technology.
The district has drawn up and is implementing a comprehensive smart city plan for 2026–2030, with the goal of building "a smart city Gangnam that connects AI, people and the urban environment." It has laid the groundwork for AI and smart city development by enacting a basic AI ordinance and establishing ethical guidelines for AI use, and has applied smart technology across administration, welfare, safety and future industries. In 2025, it received smart city certification from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport — its third consecutive certification.
In administration, the district has applied AI to local tax operations, banner management and outdoor advertising, improving both operational efficiency and resident convenience. It has also developed a generative AI chatbot capable of providing real-time guidance on administrative information and civil inquiries, with a full public launch on the Gangnam-gu website scheduled for August.
In welfare, the district monitors the safety of vulnerable residents through AI- and ICT-based wellness check services and AI care devices. For elderly residents, it operates a smart fitness center where AI automatically adjusts exercise intensity and weights to match each user's muscle strength.
In safety, the district has installed manhole water-level gauges and monitoring systems in flood-prone areas to track water levels in real time. Intelligent selective surveillance has been deployed in parks, women's safe-return routes and no-parking zones to instantly detect abnormal situations such as crowd surges and falls.
In future industries, the district operates the Gangnam Robot Plus Test Field — the first of its kind in Seoul — to promote the robotics industry, supporting pilot programs for service robots in disinfection, guidance, unmanned lawn mowing and crop harvesting. Through a public-private open innovation initiative, private companies test their AI and digital technologies in real administrative settings, and those proven effective are rolled out as public services. The district also holds a robot festival to expand residents' exposure to emerging technologies and advance its vision as a robot-friendly city.
In education, the district offers AI courses for residents focused on video production and everyday applications. Staff receive practical generative AI training covering document drafting, meeting transcription and report summarization. The district also identifies outstanding examples of AI use in administrative settings to build organization-wide capability.
"This award is the result of our efforts to create administrative services that residents can actually feel, using AI and smart technology," District Mayor Kim said. "We will continue to integrate more convenient and safer innovative technologies into our administration in line with the era of AI transformation."
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