GANGNEUNG CITY ENG - 솔향강릉

2026 ITS World Congress

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS)

An intelligent transportation system (ITS) applies cutting-edge electronic, information, communication, and control technologies to transportation infrastructure and mobility facilities for eco-friendly and efficient transportation management and safety.

ITS World Congress

The ITS World Congress, dubbed the ′Transportation Olympics,′ started in Paris, France in 1994. It is the world’s largest exhibition and international convention in the field of transportation systems that travels Asia, America, and Europe each year.

Candidate cities

There are two candidate cities to host the ITS World Congress: Gangneung, South Korea and Taipei, Taiwan. This is the first time that Gangneung is bidding to host the congress and the third for Taipei, a much bigger city.

ITS city model

An ITS city is regarded as an ideal direction for cities to strive toward for the future. It is, however, impossible for a metropolitan city to have a perfect transportation system, considering the cost and time to build it. Therefore, ITS technology demonstrations and tests have been carried out only in exhibition halls in major cities since 1994. In that sense, Gangneung can be an ITS city model where the effects of an ITS can be experienced on all roads in the city.

Experience in hosting the world's largest events

Gangneung hosted the Winter Olympics, one of the largest international events, in 2018. It received recognition from the IOC in relation to the excellence in safety, civic movements, volunteer activities, program operation, accommodations, KTX (high-speed rail in Korea), venues, Art Center, etc. With this legacy, Gangneung is well-prepared to host major international events.

Beautiful natural environment

Gangneung located on the east coast is a popular tourist city known for its beautiful sea, lakes, pine trees, and mountains as well as rich cultural heritage, exciting festivals, and unique local cuisine. After the conference, business meeting, or exhibition, participants and visitors can enjoy recreational sports such as scuba diving, hiking, and surfing or leisure activities such as enjoying coffee on the beach or taking a stroll around the lake surrounded by traditional cultural heritage.