Visitors view photos taken with Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S22 smartphone through the company's Neo QLED 8K TV during the World IT Show at the COEX convention center in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

By Baek Byung-yeul

Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, SK Telecom, KT, Kia and other companies from Korea and abroad are displaying their new products equipped with the latest technologies at the World IT Show, the largest IT event in Seoul, which runs until Friday.

Company officials said Monday that the IT event, hosted by the ICT ministry, will be an opportunity to promote new technology as well as see how the market moves at a time when the global community is transitioning from a pandemic to an endemic as well as keeping up with the latest technological trends both at home and abroad.

The organizing committee said more than 350 large, small and medium-sized companies and public institutions took part in the event. The major exhibition items consist of non-contact technology; artificial intelligence (AI) and internet of things (IoT); digital twin and metaverse; smart devices; digital healthcare; cybersecurity and blockchain.

Given that over 32,000 people visited the event in 2021 despite the COVID-19 situation, the organizer said this year's event will attract more visitors.

"This year's exhibition will be an opportunity to confirm the technological competitiveness and market prospects of domestic and overseas tech companies in preparation for the post-COVID-19 era and promote market expansion and marketing performance of ICT companies that play a role in driving the competitiveness of exports in the Korean economy," a spokeswoman from the organizing committee of the event said.

Among the big tech firms, Samsung Electronics, the world's No. 1 smartphone and TV maker, came up with its latest gadgets including the Galaxy S22 series and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 foldable smartphones for the show.

Models promote LG Electronics' home appliances during the World IT Show at the COEX convention center in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of LG Electronics

LG Electronics showcased not only its home appliances but also robots and gadgets for the business-to-business market.

"Our robot assistant LG CLOi ServeBot greets visitors at our booth, providing hand sanitizer and working as a docent. In the smart office solution experience zone, the LG One: Quick, features a 4K touch screen, camera, microphone, speaker and electronic backboard; transparent OLED signage; 32-inch monitors for hospitals and 27-inch clinical and surgical monitors are displayed," an LG spokesman said.

Local mobile carrier KT, which is currently trying to become a digital platform company, exhibits new services such as a transportation digital twin and robots.

"KT displays various services and products such as transportation digital twin technology, a control technology for monitoring and analysis of road traffic conditions, electric wheelchairs that have a joystick with an electric motor and AI service robots including quarantine robots," a KT spokesman said.

One of the highlights of the KT booth is the AI quarantine robot, which was released this month. The robot is intended for use at hospitals and other large facilities receiving many visitors. The robots feature plasma, ultraviolet wavelength and air cleaning so that they can sterilize over 99.9 percent of viruses, while at the same time being harmless to humans.

Kia's electric vehicles ― the EV6, left, and the Niro EV ― are on display during the World IT Show at the COEX convention center in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Kia

Kia, a Hyundai Motor Group car brand, displays its latest electric vehicles (EVs). A Kia spokesman said, "The company will come up with its EVs including the EV6 and the Niro EV at the World IT Show."

The EV6 is manufactured based on the automotive group's EV-only platform E-GMP and features various new technologies such as an ultra-fast charging system that can charge 80 percent of batteries in only 18 minutes. With its attractive design and features, the car model swept numerous prestigious awards including the 2022 European Car of the Year Award.

The Niro EV is an electrified version of Kia's compact crossover Niro. Kia had announced the EV version was about to be released here within the first half of 2022.

Business opportunities for local startups

Since its inaugural event in 2008, the World IT Show has been a business-friendly exhibition where meetings between overseas buyers and local companies with competitive technologies have been accomplished.

The IT event will also become a business chance for local startups as the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), one of the event organizers, holds an export consultation meeting session for two days on Wednesday and Thursday. KITA said about 30 overseas buyers and 100 domestic companies will join the session. Utilizing its overseas buyer database, KITA said it matches local companies with buyers one-on-one.

Online meetings are also available for companies that cannot visit the event due to COVID-19. In 2021, the show connected 40 companies from 10 countries with Korean companies by conducting non-contact consultations.