▲Nam Du-hee, President of the Korean ITS Society

More than 200 research papers on ITS presented and 40 special sessions prepared
22 mobility companies set up booths… ITS research and business introduction

At the spring conference of the Korea ITS Society, the largest academic gathering in the field of intelligent transportation systems and smart mobility, experts from each field presented and discussed their research results.

The 2023 Korea ITS Society Spring Conference was held for three days from the 20th at the Yeosu Expo Convention Center under the theme of 'Net-Zero Mobility'.

At this academic conference, more than 200 research papers were presented in general and poster sessions, and ITS research and projects conducted by companies, organizations, and universities were introduced through 40 special sessions and 22 smart mobility company exhibition booths.

Nam Du-hee, President of the Korea Information Systems Technology Society, said in his opening remarks, “I am delighted to be successfully hosting the 2023 Spring Conference of the Korea Information Systems Technology Society, the largest academic gathering in the field of intelligent transportation systems and smart mobility in Korea,” adding, “I hope that this conference will be an opportunity for our country’s smart mobility technology to lead and advance worldwide.”

He continued, “Carbon neutrality is a very important topic in the mobility sector,” and “This academic conference will focus on Net-Zero Mobility.” “It will be a good opportunity to look into the current status of research and development and explore new research and development topics,” he said.

In his congratulatory address, Lee Ju-min, Chairman of the Korea Road Traffic Authority, said, “We will continue to pursue various research and projects related to fostering mobility,” and “We will contribute to resolving issues related to carbon emissions and supporting policies through continued academic exchanges and mutual cooperation with the Korea ITS Society.”

Yoon So-sik, the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency’s Traffic Bureau, said, “We are pushing to include Level 4 autonomous vehicles and related laws and systems in the Road Traffic Act,” and asked for continued interest.

This spring conference featured sessions on various topics related to ITS, autonomous driving, etc.

At a special session held on the 20th, Gangneung City presented on the topic of 'Promotion and Advancement of Gangneung City's ITS Infrastructure for the 2026 ITS World Congress' in relation to hosting the 2026 ITS World Congress, and Anyang City and Paju City also presented 'Local Government ITS Business Plans and Construction/Operation Cases' and introduced the businesses and services of each local government.

The session on 'Autonomous Driving Mobility Evaluation Technology Trends', moderated by Park Ji-soo, Senior Researcher at the Korea Conformity Laboratories, featured speakers from institutions and companies such as the Korea Conformity Laboratories, Intelligent Automobile Parts Promotion Agency, and Albitech on various topics, including 'Establishment of Infrastructure for Evaluation of High-Difficulty Autonomous Driving Operation Safety Considering Terrain Characteristics.'

In the session titled 'Electric Vehicle Industry Ecosystem Transition and Preparation', chaired by Director Lee Hang-gu of the Korea Automobile Convergence Technology Institute, various organizations, including the Korea Transport Institute and the Korea Automobile Research Institute, spoke about the electric vehicle industry.

In the discussion that followed, it was analyzed that in order to achieve net-zero by 2050, only electric vehicles should be sold starting from 2035. It was also argued that consumer acceptance must also be taken into consideration.

In addition, they agreed that a healthy industry can develop only when the ecosystem, including industry and jobs, as well as safety and the environment, are balanced, and that policies and research to support this should be in place.

Meanwhile, at the opening ceremony, a promotional video for Gangneung City, which will host the 2026 ITS World Congress, was introduced, and cheers and photos were taken to support the successful hosting.

The ITS World Congress is expected to be attended by over 100 countries and will consist of various academic sessions, exhibitions, and demonstrations of new technologies.

In particular, with the number of participants expected to reach around 60,000, it is expected that Gangneung City, which recently suffered major damage from a forest fire, will be able to regain its former smiles.