South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT opened the 2026 World IT Show on Tuesday at COEX in Seoul. About 460 companies and institutions from South Korea and abroad from 17 countries will present the latest information and communications technology (ICT) products and services over three days through April 24.

This year's event uses the slogan, "Beyond thought to action: Artificial intelligence (AI), moving reality," and is designed to let visitors experience a sweeping shift to physical AI. It newly set up 4 special zones to strengthen its content: an Award Tech zone, a Global zone, an Enter Tech zone and a K-AI semiconductor ecosystem zone.

At an awards ceremony held to coincide with the opening of the World IT Show, the Grand Prize of South Korea's ImpaCT-ech awards, which select innovative domestic AI and ICT technologies, was presented.

The presidential award went to Gaudio Lab, which developed a platform that automates, using AI, tasks such as separating and replacing audio sources, dubbing and subtitles in the overseas export process for K-content. The prime minister's award went to Law&Company, which developed a legal-specialised AI service that boosts lawyers' productivity with a generative AI-based chatbot.

In addition, 6 companies, including Samsung Electronics, received the deputy prime minister and minister of science and ICT award for developing a service that implements everything from a mobile network's core network to the radio access network (RAN) and cell site routers (CSR) at base station sites in software to build and operate networks without separate dedicated hardware.

In the World IT Show Innovation Awards, given to promising AI and ICT companies, 10 companies including BNSR, which developed an integrated system for diagnosing semiconductor processes and process equipment, received the deputy prime minister and minister of science and ICT award.

At the Global ICT Outlook Conference, speakers including LG Uplus managing director Sung-kwon Jung (정성권) and Samsung SDS vice president Tae-hee Lee (이태희) delivered keynote lectures. The ministry also held an ICT technology commercialisation festival and a university Information and Telecommunications Research Center (ITRC) talent development fair at the same time to create a comprehensive venue for exchange.

At the Global ICT Buyer Export Consultation Meeting, which offers export consultations and investment attraction opportunities, 50 overseas buyer companies from 14 countries including Britain, China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) took part.

Ryu Je-myung (류제명), second vice minister of science and ICT, said, "This World IT Show is an important venue to experience the fusion of physical AI and advanced technologies." He added, "I hope it will be a meaningful venue where our AI and ICT companies share the results of innovative technologies and create opportunities for new cooperation and a leap forward."