Held at COEX for Three Days from June 18 to 20
The '2025 MARS (Mega city A.I. Revolution Summit)' in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, a large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) expo independently hosted by a basic local government, will open on June 18 at Hall C and the conference rooms of COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul.
This event will not only offer a wide variety of attractions, including cutting-edge humanoid robots, but will also be attended by leading domestic AI scholars and prominent figures such as composer Kim Hyungseok and Professor Yoo Hyunjoon of Hongik University.
At the venue, more than 100 specialized exhibition booths will be operated by major domestic and international companies and institutions, including Amazon, SK Magic, Hyundai Motor Group, Kia, KAIST, Sogang University, and Seoul Institute of the Arts.
The opening ceremony will be held at 10:00 a.m. on June 18 in Room 401 on the 4th floor of COEX. It will serve as a symbolic stage where technology, art, emotion, and future vision harmonize, vividly expressing Hwaseong City's vision for an AI-driven city.
The event will begin with the appearance of the AI humanoid robot 'Ameca.' Capable of making facial expressions and conversing like a real person, 'Ameca' symbolizes a city where humans and AI coexist.
At the opening ceremony, Mayor Jeong Myeonggeun of Hwaseong will declare the 'Vision of Hwaseong Special City as a Future AI City' in his opening address. Mayor Jeong is expected to present the city's direction of utilizing AI to solve administrative and urban challenges and to realize a people-centered technological city.
Here is a preview of 'MARS 2025,' which will be held over three days until June 20.
DAY 1 - 'Hwaseong Data Forum' and 'MARS 2025 Summit'
On the opening day, June 18, a variety of events will take place, covering AI policy, administration, education, and industry.
At 10:00 a.m., Professor Choi Jaeboong of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University and author of 'AI Sapiens' will give a special AI lecture for public officials in Room 317, under the theme 'Survival Strategies Every Public Official Must Know in the Age of AI Sapiens.' Following this, at 11:00 a.m. in Room 318, Lee Ayoung, an AI business instructor at GPT Korea Co., Ltd., will conduct a session on 'AI-Based Marketing Education.'
In the afternoon, various policy discussions will be held. In Room 317, the 2nd Hwaseong Data Forum and a university student AI policy debate will take place. In the forum, five finalist teams from the Hwaseong City University Student Urban Data Contest will propose policies through PPT presentations.
Lee Sewon, Associate Research Fellow at the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, will give a lecture on 'Implementing Korean-Style Urban AI.' There will also be an event where young members of the Hwaseong City Talent Development Foundation's Technopol Overseas Study Group will propose and discuss policies based on their overseas experiences.
Architect Hyunjoon Yoo, CEO of Yoo Hyunjoon and Partners Co., Ltd., attending 'MARS 2025' hosted by Hwaseong City. CEO Yoo will participate in lectures and discussions at the 'MARS 2025 SUMMIT'. Provided by Hwaseong City
At 1:30 p.m. that day, the 'MARS 2025 SUMMIT' will be held on the Hall C stage. In the first session, 'Urban AI,' Hong Choongsun, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Kyung Hee University, Hyun Daewon, Dean of the Graduate School of Metaverse at Sogang University, and Yoo Hyunjoon, CEO architect of Yoo Hyunjoon and Partners Co., Ltd., will give lectures and engage in discussions under the theme 'An AI Happy City for All.'
In the second session, 'Next AI,' lectures will be given under the theme 'The Age of the AI Industry: Today's Vision and Tomorrow's Innovation' by Joo Siheon, Executive Director of Hyundai Motor Group; Kim Kihyun, Research Fellow at LG Uplus; Kim Gyutae, Head of Technology Planning Group at Samsung Electronics Semiconductor Research Center; and Kang Sunghoon, CEO of Studio Lab.
On this day, a 'Demo Day and Networking' event will also be held, bringing together domestic and international startups and global investors. Twelve investors from six countries, including the U.S. company Minder Bridge, will network with about 20 promising domestic AI startups.
DAY 2 - 'MARS 2025 Conference', 'AI Industry Technology Seminar', and 'Hwaseong City Investment Promotion Briefing'
On the second day, June 19, key programs will be held in the fields of urban administration, industrial technology, and investment strategy.
At 10:00 a.m. in 'Studio 159' on the 2nd floor of COEX, the 'Hwaseong Basic Society Mijidap Forum' will be held under the theme 'A City Where Everyone is Happy: Realizing the Hwaseong-Style Basic Society.' The forum will feature presentations by Jeong Kyunseung, Professor of Economics at Kunsan National University; Kim Sungyong, Policy Secretary for People's Livelihood at the National Assembly; and Nam Gieop, Director of the Land+Liberty Research Institute.
At the same time in Room 317, the 'MARS 2025 Conference' will take place. In Part 1 (Everyday Life), lectures and discussions will be held under the theme 'The Transformation of Everyday Life in the AI Era,' featuring Song Seokhyun, President of the Korean Association for Digital Government; Kim Youngmi, Professor of Public Administration at Sangmyung University; and Nam Youngjun, Professor of Library and Information Science at Chung-Ang University.
Part 2, under the theme 'The Transformation of Industry in the AI Era,' will feature Yoo Changdong, Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at KAIST; Lee Jihyung, Professor of Artificial Intelligence at Sungkyunkwan University; and Heo Uinam, Director of the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute at Kyung Hee University.
At the 'AI Industry Technology Seminar' on this day, Choi Hyukryeol, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University; Kang Namwoo, CEO of Nania Labs; and Yeo Hwasoo, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at KAIST, will introduce the latest AI technology trends.
In the afternoon, the '2025 Hwaseong City Investment Promotion Briefing' will also be held. During the event, a business agreement between Hwaseong City and MDM Group will be signed. The briefing will introduce the sales status of Hwaseong City's industrial complexes and major corporate investment cases, and customized consultation booths for each industrial complex will be operated.
DAY 3 - 'MARS 2025 Conference' and 'MD Consultation Meeting'
On the final day, June 20, Parts 3 (Future Industry) and 4 (Future City) of the 'MARS 2025 Conference' will be held. Part 3 will focus on the intersection of AI and future technology, centered on the city's major strategic industries. Presentations will be given by Kim Yongseok, Distinguished Professor at Gachon University College of Semiconductor; Lee Seungbok, Professor at Seoul National University School of Dentistry; Kim Yongho, Professor of Nano Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University; and Kim Chunghwan, Senior Advisor at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government's Department of Oceans and Fisheries.
Part 4 will feature lectures and discussions on innovation strategies for future cities utilizing AI. Hong Seokbin, Professor at Woosuk University College of Liberal Arts, will serve as moderator, and the discussion will include Kim Hyunsoo, Professor at Dankook University; Park Cheolhong, Professor at Hanyang University ERICA Department of Architecture; Oh Seongtak, Research Fellow at the National Information Society Agency; and Jeong Wonjoong, Head of the AI Industry Team at the Gyeonggi Institute of Economic Science.
On this day, in Rooms 317 and 318 at COEX, the 'MD Consultation Meeting' will also be held, with 30 outstanding local small and medium-sized enterprises participating. The participating companies will seek to expand their sales channels and enter new distribution networks through one-on-one business consultations with domestic distribution specialists (MDs).
Mayor Jeong Myeonggeun of Hwaseong stated, "This expo has been designed as a festival so that everyone can enjoy experiencing AI," adding, "We hope this event will mark the beginning of a major transformation in the AI industry ecosystem in Korea."
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