Hwaseong Opens MARS 2026 AI Expo

Hwaseong Special City opened the global AI expo MARS 2026 at the third-floor auditorium of Seoul’s COEX on the 3rd. The event, under the slogan “AI City in Action,” runs for three days through the 5th. About 1,000 people attended the opening ceremony, including Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, City Council Chair Lee Gye-cheol, nine lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties, officials and visitors.

In his opening remarks, Mayor Jeong said Hwaseong held the MARS AI expo last year as the first local government to do so, presenting a vision for South Korea as a leading AI city. He said this year the city would put that vision into practice and bring tangible change. Citing the area’s industrial base, which includes Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor and Kia’s Namyang R&D Center, and more than 26,000 manufacturers, he said Hwaseong aims to build a “human-centered AI city” that considers both advanced technology and residents’ lives.

The keynote address was delivered by Sam Richards, a professor at Pennsylvania State University in the United States, on “The Future of AI: Can Korea Lead the World?” He said he had long watched Korea’s growth potential, including K-pop and K-culture, and identified a community spirit—putting “us” before “me” during crises and solving problems together—as a Korean strength.

The expo features conference sessions on mobility AI; “Real Life AI,” centered on healthcare and smart homes; and “Industry AI,” covering AI-driven transformation in manufacturing and industry. It also includes an aerospace forum and five themed exhibitions on related topics.

Hwaseong Special City opened the global AI expo MARS 2026 at the third-floor auditorium of Seoul’s COEX on the 3rd. The event, under the slogan “AI City in Action,” runs for three days through the 5th. About 1,000 people attended the opening ceremony, including Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, City Council Chair Lee Gye-cheol, nine lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties, officials and visitors.

In his opening remarks, Mayor Jeong said Hwaseong held the MARS AI expo last year as the first local government to do so, presenting a vision for South Korea as a leading AI city. He said this year the city would put that vision into practice and bring tangible change. Citing the area’s industrial base, which includes Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor and Kia’s Namyang R&D Center, and more than 26,000 manufacturers, he said Hwaseong aims to build a “human-centered AI city” that considers both advanced technology and residents’ lives.

The keynote address was delivered by Sam Richards, a professor at Pennsylvania State University in the United States, on “The Future of AI: Can Korea Lead the World?” He said he had long watched Korea’s growth potential, including K-pop and K-culture, and identified a community spirit—putting “us” before “me” during crises and solving problems together—as a Korean strength.

The expo features conference sessions on mobility AI; “Real Life AI,” centered on healthcare and smart homes; and “Industry AI,” covering AI-driven transformation in manufacturing and industry. It also includes an aerospace forum and five themed exhibitions on related topics.