Chungbuk is strengthening its competitiveness as an international MICE city by combining future industries, such as AI and robotics, with cultural tourism.
The Chungbuk Cultural Foundation announced on the 9th that the '2026 World Robot Olympiad (WRO) Korea National Finals,' held at Cheongju OSCO on the 8th and 9th, ended with great success, attracting around 2,000 domestic and international participants, instructors, and family members.
Hosted continuously for a five-year period starting last year, this competition served as the Korean national team selection event for the World Final to be held in Puerto Rico in December. Under the theme "Robots Meet Culture," AI and robotics talents from across the nation competed with their technical skills and creativity.
Notably, alongside around 1,800 domestic participants and instructors, an international delegation of 200 people across 41 teams from 7 countries—including China, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, and Vietnam—participated in the event. Overseas students, instructors, and their families not only competed but also interacted with Korean students to share robotics technology and culture.
The Chungbuk Cultural Foundation expanded this competition beyond a simple robot contest into a MICE event linked with high-tech industries and local cultural tourism.
During the event, international participants visited the Cheongju Early Printing Museum to view "Jikji," a UNESCO Memory of the World, and took part in experiences at the Metal Type Heritage Education Center. By connecting the event's theme, "Robots Meet Culture," with Chungbuk's representative cultural assets, they highlighted the region's charm where high technology and traditional culture coexist.
Taking this competition as an opportunity, the foundation plans to continuously attract international conferences, exhibitions, expos, and future industry events in AI and robotics centered around Cheongju OSCO, nurturing Chungbuk's MICE and tourism industries together.
Chungbuk Governor Shin Yong-han, who attended the opening ceremony, said, "The successful hosting of the 2026 WRO Korea is a prime example demonstrating both Chungbuk's AI and high-tech industries alongside its international MICE capabilities. We will continue to build a Chungbuk where future industries and cultural tourism grow together."
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