LG Electronics said on Oct. 29 it will hold the finals of the 2026 Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities (GITC) in Da Nang, Vietnam. The contest is hosted by LG and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and co-organised by LG Electronics, the Korea Association of Rehabilitation for the Disabled, and local Vietnamese social enterprises and universities.

GITC began in 2011 to improve IT skills among youth with disabilities and help them enter society. About 5,000 people from 41 countries have participated over 15 years. A total of 81 people who advanced through qualifying rounds are competing in this year's finals. They are from nine countries including South Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines.

Participants competed in 4 events. The e-Combination event tests AI-based information search and document work. The e-Content event evaluates video production skills using AI platforms. The e-Creative event measures self-driving car programming skills. The e-Interactive event looks at the ability to create interactive games that respond to motion and voice using AI.

Marking the 15th anniversary this year, the winner of the first contest also attended the opening ceremony. It was Shin Ki-hoon (신기훈), who placed first in the information search event at the inaugural contest held in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2011. Shin cheered on participants. He is currently researching ways to implement AI in smart devices in a doctoral programme at Pusan National University.

Yoon Dae-sik (윤대식), executive director in charge of external relations at LG Electronics, said, "Through GITC, we will continue to create opportunities for disabled youth around the world to experience new technologies such as AI and demonstrate their capabilities."