MWC, Largest Ever Integrated Korean Pavilion... Showcasing Mobile Innovation Technologies

One of the World's Top 3 IT Exhibitions... Held for Four Days from the 26th
Over 2,400 Companies Worldwide Compete
Discussion on AI Services and Communication Infrastructure Development Plans

The world's largest mobile exhibition, 'MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2024,' where you can glimpse the 'future opened by mobile,' will be held in Spain on the 26th (local time). Korea will participate with 165 companies, and the integrated Korea Pavilion bearing the 'Korea' logo will be operated on the largest scale ever. This year, more than 2,400 companies worldwide, including Korean companies, will showcase the latest mobile technologies. It is expected that various solutions such as 5G and 6G communication technologies that will change the future industrial landscape, along with the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and cloud, will be introduced.

MWC 2024, hosted by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), has set this year's theme as 'Future First,' meaning a leap into a new future through the development of the mobile industry.

100,000 Visitors... A View of the 'Future Opened by Mobile'

This year, the number of visitors is expected to recover to pre-COVID-19 levels, with 100,000 attendees anticipated. More than 2,400 companies, including global giants such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, Ericsson, Microsoft (MS), Qualcomm, and Huawei, will participate. According to the Korea Information and Communication Technology Industry Association (KICTA), the number of participating companies by country is highest in Spain with 696, followed by the United States with 432, China with 288, and Korea with 165.

Aerial view of KT's MWC2024 exhibition hall

The main themes of the event are sixfold: 5G and beyond, connectivity for everything, humanized AI, digital transformation of manufacturing, game changers, and digital DNA. The future of the wireless communication industry, which is becoming faster and more densely connected, will be explored, along with how generative AI, a global issue, will bring changes to our daily lives. There is also expected discourse on the need for investment in 6G infrastructure beyond 5G for the application of AI-based innovative technologies.

Keynote speeches by mobile industry leaders are also noteworthy. These include 'New Strategies for a New World' by Brad Smith, Vice Chairman of MS, and Mike Dell, CEO of Dell, as well as 'Power for the Future' by Antonio Neri, Chairman of Hewlett Packard, and Li Feng, Senior Vice President of Huawei Enterprises. Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, is scheduled to speak about the future transformed by AI.

Representatives of the Three Major Telecom Companies Attend... Chey Tae-won Participates for the Second Consecutive Year

At MWC 2024, the CEOs of Korea's three major telecom companies?Yu Jang-seong of SK Telecom, Kim Young-seop of KT, and Hwang Hyun-sik of LG Uplus?will all be present. SKT and KT will open independent booths to introduce their innovative technologies and reveal their global market strategies. Samsung Electronics is actively promoting mobile AI by opening a Galaxy S24 experience center in Barcelona even before the event starts. Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, will participate in MWC for the second consecutive year to observe global technology trends and explore new business opportunities. On the other hand, Lee Jong-ho, Minister of Science and ICT, will not attend for the second consecutive year.

Choi Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, is touring the exhibition hall on the opening day of the world's largest mobile telecommunications exhibition, 'Mobile World Congress' (MWC 2023), on the 27th. Photo by Joint Press Corps

KOTRA, KICTA, the Korea International Trade Association, the Korea Startup Promotion Agency, and six other domestic organizations have formed an integrated Korea Pavilion to showcase the mobile technologies of about 100 domestic small and venture companies. Especially this year, to achieve global business results, the largest integrated Korea Pavilion ever has been organized, with unified booth designs and BI logos. Companies that have stood out in the mobile industry this year can be identified through the Global Mobile Award held during the event. Korean companies such as Samsung Electronics, SKT, KT, Sapeon, and Hyodol have been nominated in 10 categories for this year's Global Mobile Award. At the startup event 4YFN (4 Years From Now), promising startups leading the future mobile industry can be met. Attention is focused on Korea's autonomous driving solution startup 'Bitsensing,' which has made it into the top 5 and whether it will achieve the final victory.