ITS World Congress enters second day with growing momentum
Gangneung-style ITS pushed for global standardization amid showcase of cutting-edge technology
Ice arena exhibition hall and outdoor demonstration site draw large crowds
Gangneung is drawing worldwide attention as a stage for advanced mobility innovation, with the ITS World Congress serving as the catalyst.
The large-scale exhibition hall at the Gangneung Speed Skating Arena and the outdoor demonstration site at the Hockey Center drew a steady stream of domestic and international transportation experts, corporate representatives and visitors, filling both venues to capacity.
Inside the exhibition hall, global mobility companies — including Hyundai Motor Company, Lotte Innovate, Qualcomm, Toyota and Honda — showcased cutting-edge technologies such as autonomous driving systems, AI-based traffic control solutions, drones and parking robots, drawing strong interest from visitors.
The outdoor demonstration site offered hands-on glimpses of future transportation, featuring Level 4 autonomous vehicles, single-seat autonomous mobility units designed for passengers with limited mobility, drone delivery systems and AI-guided parking assistance.
At the convention center, academic sessions and policy meetings on autonomous driving, AI smart infrastructure and intelligent transportation systems are drawing global experts amid active discussion.
On Tuesday, the congress's second day, Gangneung Mayor Kim Jung-nam is scheduled to attend a special session on region-tailored transportation services hosted by T-money, a global mobility payment and platform company, for an in-depth discussion on the city's future transportation services.
"The future of mobility goes beyond simply advancing means of transportation — it is evolving into an integrated mobility-as-a-service model, or MaaS, where public transit, autonomous driving, demand-responsive buses and other modes are connected through a single platform," Mayor Kim said. "Through close cooperation with private-sector platforms, we will lead the way in building a 'Gangneung-style K-MaaS' ecosystem that anyone — residents and visitors alike — can use with ease."
He added that the remaining days of the congress would feature not only state-of-the-art exhibitions and demonstrations but also an ice show and celebratory performances, urging the public to visit and experience the future that mobility will bring to Gangneung.
Mayor Kim is also scheduled to hold a series of meetings with global transportation leaders, starting with Vietnam's Vice Minister of Transport, to share Gangneung's success in building ITS infrastructure and its expertise in autonomous driving policy.
Starting Tuesday, a technical inspection program for experts is also getting underway. A senior minister from Singapore's Land Transport Authority, which oversees the city-state's land transportation policy and infrastructure, is scheduled to visit Gangneung's Urban Information Center to inspect its AI-based real-time traffic management system and integrated control infrastructure.
At 6 p.m. Tuesday, a VIP dinner is set to be held at Seongyojang, a representative traditional hanok estate in Gangneung, under the chairmanship of Mayor Kim. About 250 guests are expected to attend, including Deputy Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Jeong Eui-gyeong, foreign vice-ministerial and ministerial-level officials, and other key figures in the ITS field.
abc@heraldcorp.com
