The "2026 Korea Urban and Regional Innovation Industry Expo," which showcases the innovative achievements of South Korea's urban regeneration alongside cutting-edge private-sector technologies, opened its doors on September 29 at the Cheongju OSCO exhibition center in Chungcheongbuk-do. The event runs for four days until October 2.

Held under the theme "A City to Look Forward to Tomorrow, a Local Era We Build Together," the expo is co-hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), Chungcheongbuk-do Province, Cheongju City, the Urban Regeneration Industry Promotion Association, and Yonhap News Agency. A total of 176 organizations, including local governments, public institutions, and companies nationwide, are participating across 320 booths.

In particular, this expo was organized with the core objective of fostering practical information exchange and business networking among industry, academia, research institutes, and government sectors.

During the event, participating entities intensively shared the latest policies, technologies, and investment information to solve urban problems, featuring:

Government (Local Governments & Public Institutions): Successful urban regeneration policies and examples of improving settlement conditions.
Industry (Companies): Smart city solutions, AI-based urban safety and spatial innovation technologies, smart infrastructure solutions, and new financial techniques (urban finance).
Academia & Research (Universities & Research Institutes): Future urban regeneration policy visions in the era of AI and empirical research achievements.
The exhibition hall is organized into specific zones, including the Public Policy & Regional Innovation Hall (highlighting core urban regeneration achievements of local governments and public institutions), the Future Industry Hall (featuring cutting-edge technologies from leading companies in urban maintenance, safety, and IT), and the Regional Co-existence Plaza (combining local products and upcycling craft experiences).

On the afternoon of September 30, the second day of the expo, the official opening ceremony took place at 3:00 PM on the main stage of Hall 1 at the Cheongju OSCO exhibition center. Around 100 key figures and officials attended, including the First Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Head of the Autonomous Innovation Office from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Governor of Chungcheongbuk-do, and the Mayor of Cheongju. The ceremony featured an awards ceremony for organizations and companies contributing to urban and regional innovation, the announcement of the next host city, and a line tour of the exhibition booths.

In addition, various side events were held throughout the expo period to serve as an active platform for information exchange, including an AI urban and regional innovation idea contest, a resident-participatory talk concert, an urban finance innovation seminar, and an urban regeneration workshop in the age of AI.

In his welcoming remarks, Governor Shin Yong-han stated, "Today, urban innovation goes beyond simple physical remodeling; it is an essential survival strategy to build a sustainable ecosystem and enhance regional self-reliance." He added, "Based on 'Chungbuk Great Transformation, Livelihood-Practical Chungbuk,' Chungcheongbuk-do will take the lead in urban innovation that substantially changes the lives of its residents."

He further noted, "I hope that the various policies and technologies shared at this expo will serve as a priming water to create tangible changes in cities and regions across Chungcheongbuk-do and the entire nation."

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