Mayor Jeong: "Adding AI and Aerospace to Manufacturing, We Will Become a Hub for Future Industries"

Hwaseong Opens “MARS 2026” at COEX

62 Companies and Organizations, Including Hyundai Motor, to Participate Through November 5

Industry-Academia-Research-Government “MARS Alliance” Launched

Alliance to Advance AI Testing, Commercialization, and Data Collaboration

Sam Richards: “Korea’s Community Spirit and Advanced Technology Will Lead the World’s AI Future”

Hwaseong Special City Mayor Jeong Myeonggeun of Gyeonggi Province said on November 3, “By building on our solid manufacturing base with AI innovation and the aerospace industry, we will become a hub for the future industries of the Republic of Korea.”

Hwaseong Special City Mayor Jeong Myeonggeun delivers opening remarks at the opening ceremony of “MARS 2026.” Photo provided by Hwaseong City.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the global AI expo “MARS 2026,” held that day at the COEX Auditorium in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Mayor Jeong said, “We will now turn our vision of an AI city into action and bring about tangible change in the city.”

Held under the slogan “AI CITY IN ACTION (AI City Becomes Reality),” the event runs for three days through November 5 at COEX D Hall, the Auditorium, Conference Room E, and other venues. A total of 62 companies and organizations, including Hyundai Motor, Kia, Samsung Life Insurance, and Daewoong Pharmaceutical, are taking part, showcasing AI technologies in manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, and aerospace.

In his opening remarks, Mayor Jeong highlighted Hwaseong’s industrial base, which includes Samsung Electronics, the Hyundai Motor-Kia Namyang Research and Development Center, and more than 26,000 manufacturing companies. “We will actively support the AI transformation of manufacturing while also fostering the aerospace industry as a new driver of future growth,” he said.

Sam Richards, a professor at Pennsylvania State University, delivers a keynote address on “The Future of AI: Can Korea Lead the World?” at MARS 2026.

He also outlined plans to integrate AI technology into residents’ daily lives. “The ultimate goal of AI development is to make people’s lives happier and more prosperous,” Mayor Jeong said. “We will build a people-centered AI city where everyone can benefit from AI in healthcare, transportation, safety, and care services.”

More than 1,000 people attended the opening ceremony, including Lee Gye-cheol, chair of the Hwaseong City Council; current and former lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties; members of the National AI Strategy Committee; business representatives; and residents. During the opening performance, the humanoid robot “Walker C1” performed ballet moves, followed by a children’s choir.

The keynote address was delivered by Sam Richards, a professor at Pennsylvania State University in the United States. Speaking on “The Future of AI: Can Korea Lead the World?” Professor Richards cited Korea’s community spirit and Hwaseong’s industrial base as sources of strength in the AI era. “If Korea’s community-oriented values are combined with Hwaseong’s dynamic industrial energy, the Republic of Korea will become a global leader that helps chart the course of the world’s AI future,” he said.

Guests deliver congratulatory remarks at the opening ceremony of the Hwaseong Special City Global AI Expo "MARS 2026," held at the COEX Auditorium in Seoul on the 3rd. Photo by Lee Jonggu

“For a long time, I have been paying attention to the Republic of Korea’s tremendous potential for growth, including K-pop and K-culture,” Professor Richards said. He added, “The greatest strength of the Korean people is their uniquely strong community spirit: thinking of ‘us’ before ‘me’ and coming together in times of crisis to solve problems.”

The opening ceremony also featured the launch of the “2026 MARS Alliance,” a partnership bringing together industry, academia, research institutes, and government. Representatives of major companies, including Hyundai Motor Group, Kia, Samsung Life Insurance, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Shinsegae Property, and Innospace, took part. Participants agreed to build a sustainable AI ecosystem through AI technology testing, industrial innovation, technology commercialization, and data and research collaboration.

Sessions held on the afternoon of the first day included “MOBILITY AI,” covering future mobility and autonomous driving; “REAL LIFE AI,” focused on healthcare and smart homes; and “INDUSTRY AI,” addressing the AI transformation of manufacturing and industry. The launch ceremony for Hwaseong Special City’s Aerospace Industry Promotion Task Force and the “SPACE AI Forum” are also scheduled.

A humanoid robot on display at “MARS 2026,” the Hwaseong Special City Global AI Expo, which opened at COEX in Seoul on the 3rd, is catching visitors’ attention. Lee Jonggu, staff reporter.

A foreign visitor examines a humanoid robot designed to resemble a person at the MARS 2026 global AI expo hosted by Hwaseong Special City, which opened on the 3rd at COEX in Seoul. Photo by Lee Jonggu

The “Cruiser S1,” a guide robot equipped with multilingual voice guidance in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese, is on display at “MARS 2026,” a global AI expo hosted by Hwaseong Special City that opened at COEX in Seoul on the 3rd. Photo by Lee Jonggu

In addition, 62 companies and organizations, including Hyundai Motor, Kia, Samsung Life Insurance, and Daewoong Pharmaceutical, will stage five themed exhibitions at COEX D2 Hall: Moving City AI (future mobility, autonomous driving, and UAM); AX & Physical AI (the AI transformation of manufacturing and industry, and robotics); Real Life AI (healthcare and smart homes); Sustainable City AI (transportation, safety, and urban data infrastructure); and X-Space AI (aerospace and satellite data). They will showcase cutting-edge AI technologies throughout the event.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.