Seoul Mobility Show Faces Crossroads as Industry Evolves
Goyang, South Korea – The Seoul Mobility Show, rebranded in 2021 toโ reflect the automotive industry’s shiftโฃ towards software-defined vehicles (SDV), autonomous driving, โartificial intelligence โ(AI),โ robotics, โandโ eco-friendly cars, is falling short of its potential,โ accordingโ to recent observationsโค from the event โคheld โฃlast Decemberโ at KINTEX in Goyang.Despiteโ improvements toโ the venue itself, โthe show lags behind international counterparts like IAA Mobility in terms of engagement and โimpact.
Reportsโ indicate aโ disparity in booth activity, with officials at IAA Mobility proactively โattracting visitors, while manny participants at the Seoul โฃshow โ- especially smaller parts makers – โคwere observedโ passively waiting for attendees. Some finished โขcar brands expressed concern that the high booth costs did not โtranslate into sufficient promotional benefit, with top-selling domesticโข companies participating reluctantly and smaller subsidiaries questioning the value of attendance. โข
The event,geographically โsituated in Goyang,is often referred toโฃ as the ‘Goyang โขMobility Show’ โor ‘Ilsan โฃMobilityโฃ Show’ โขdue to its location.
With the next Seoul Mobility Show scheduled for 2027, organizers face mounting pressure to innovate and differentiateโข the event as the pace ofโฃ change in the automotive โindustryโ accelerates. Despite the global “K-Content” wave, the show has yet toโ capitalize onโ South Korea’sโข position โขas the world’s fifth-largest car โproducer.
Kim โขChang-sung, โDeputy General Manager, โemphasized the โคneed for a โข”breakthrough” to establish โthe Seoul Mobility โฃShow as a “future mobility โplayground,” urging the Organizing Committee to utilize the next two years to drive meaningful evolution.โ Theโ callโค is โขforโ a shift โbeyond simply attracting major automotive brands, โคtowardsโค creating a uniquely compelling and innovative โขexperience.