[Report] KakaoT Guides Gwangju Biennale... Smoothly Leading to Local Restaurants

Kakao Mobility Supports Transportation Technology for Gwangju Biennale
Free Shuttle, Digital Leaflet, Jigeumyeogi and Other Services

Yangnim History and Culture Village, located in Yangnim-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju. The village was bustling with tourists visiting the exhibition venue of the '15th Gwangju Biennale,' which opened on the 6th. This phenomenon occurred due to improved accessibility with the introduction of a dedicated shuttle bus for the exhibition venue. Previously, visitors had to transfer buses once at the main exhibition hall of the Gwangju Biennale and travel about 50 minutes, and even then, it was difficult to find the hidden exhibition venues, resulting in low attention.

Kakao Mobility digital leaflet installed in front of Han Bu-cheol Gallery in Yangnim Historical and Cultural Village, Gwangju
Photo by Choi Yuri

This year, the change in the Gwangju Biennale is thanks to Kakao Mobility. Despite its reputation as one of the world's four major biennales and the largest international art exhibition in Asia, lack of accessibility had been a chronic problem. A satisfaction survey of visitors to the 14th Biennale showed that among 18 indicators, 'satisfaction with exhibition venue accessibility' ranked 10th at 75.6%, and 'convenience of parking lot use' ranked 18th at 61.6%. To find solutions, the Gwangju Biennale organizers requested support from Kakao Mobility. They referred to Kakao Mobility’s assistance in facilitating visitor movement at the 18th Yeongdeungpo Yeouido Spring Flower Festival this past spring.

Free Circulation Shuttle for Gwangju Biennale
Photo by Kakao Mobility

The biggest change is the introduction of a dedicated circular shuttle bus for Gwangju Biennale visitors. Anyone with a Biennale ticket can ride for free. The shuttle circulates seven times a day, except Mondays, along an 18km route connecting the main exhibition hall in Buk-gu, the U-Square Bus Terminal in Seo-gu, the National Asia Culture Center in Dong-gu, and the Yangnim History and Culture Village in Nam-gu. This free shuttle enhances convenience by covering all 31 exhibition venues located throughout Gwangju. A woman in her 60s who met on the shuttle said, "Even though I live in Nam-gu, Gwangju, I had never been to the Biennale before," adding, "Now that there is a free shuttle, I plan to visit."

'Kakao T Taxi Pickup Zone' located at the entrance of the Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall
Photo by Kakao Mobility

Heading to the main exhibition hall by bus, a 'Kakao T Taxi Pickup Zone' was visible at the entrance. This is a designated stop where Kakao T taxis heading to the Biennale can pick up and drop off passengers. When setting the Biennale as the departure or arrival point in the Kakao T app, the taxi guidance coordinate pin is forcibly moved to the pickup zone, allowing boarding and alighting only at the designated spot. This feature was introduced to prevent traffic congestion caused by taxis and parked vehicles entering inside the exhibition hall as before. Since taxis only pick up and drop off at the designated location, it was convenient to meet companions without missing each other.

Yellow digital leaflets placed at each of the 31 scattered exhibition venues also appeared as a new guide. Scanning the QR code displayed on the leaflet provides information about nearby exhibition venues and directions through the Kakao T app. It guided visitors even to places that could easily be missed, such as galleries converted from private homes or exhibition venues located in complex alleys.

The location-based real-time community service ‘Jigeumyeogi’ (Now Here) also caught attention. Jigeumyeogi is a service within the Kakao T app that allows users to share information about specific regions or places and respond with comments and likes. Although it is in beta operation in some metropolitan areas such as Gangnam, Hongdae, and Yeouido, the service was launched in Gwangju during the Biennale period. Real-time information such as "If you park at the Gwangju Biennale parking lot and go inside, it is closest to the main exhibition hall," and "The pork cutlet restaurant usually has a waiting line" was posted. It was useful as it provided local, community-based information that would be difficult to know without being a visitor or resident, including products sold at the Biennale exhibition, nearby restaurants, and discount ticket information.

Park Sang-hyun, head of Kakao Mobility’s Marketing Office, stated, "We will strive to provide services that help domestic and international visitors move quickly and safely at various event sites."