23 April 2026, Seoul - Seoul PE participated in the World IT Show (WIS) 2026 Tour for Diplomats organized by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the Korea Association for AI & ICT Promotion (KAIT) at the Convention and Exhibition Center (COEX) in Gangnam, Seoul on 23 April 2026. 

Second Vice Minister Ryu Je-myung of MSIT, in his address to the participating diplomats prior to the tour, stated that the WIS serves as the Republic of Korea’s primary ICT exhibition and shares the latest trends in artificial intelligence and digital technology while increasing opportunities for global cooperation.  

Under the slogan, “Beyond Idea into action: AI moves reality”, the 2026 WIS highlighted the transformative power of physical AI, reshaping industries and daily life, unveiling breakthrough technologies that are expected to define future industries.   The show featured approximately 450 companies from more than 17 countries.  

In response to the world entering an era of AI transformation, the Korean Government has implemented the world’s first AI legal and regulatory framework (AI Basic Act) in January 2026 to build a sustainable AI ecosystem.  In February, the Korean Government also announced the AI Action Plan to leap forward as one of the top three AI powerhouses in the world.  The ROK is also expanding its AI highway infrastructure by securing GPUs and establishing a national AI Computing Center; accelerating physical AI, industrial AI transformation and development of its own AI foundational model.  It has also allocated a dedicated budget of KRW 10 trillion to AI to establish the country as a global AI powerhouse and spearhead the advancement of AI technologies and infrastructure.

Second Vice Minister Ryu also invited the members of the diplomatic corps to share their country’s policies and experiences in AI and to forge new paths for global cooperation.  He hoped that such cooperation would eventually lead to building a better future via AI and digital innovation.

Deputy Head of Mission and Consul General Edwin Gil Mendoza, Economic Affairs Assistant and Attaché Charmie Fugaban and PTIC-Seoul’s Chinny Jin Cruz joined other participants from the diplomatic corps in touring the WIS showrooms and viewing various products covering AI and digital intelligence, smart life and data technologies, and robotics and intelligent mobility, among others.  - END