KIND

KIND Explores Business Opportunities through K-City, Bringing Together Three Governments and Korean Companies

The Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation (KIND, headed by President and CEO Bok-hwan Kim), announced that it hosted the 2026 K-City Network Global Smart City Partnership Forum, under the theme “K-City Meets Global Business Opportunities,” at BEXCO in Busan on September 10, bringing together government and municipal officials from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Poland and Korean companies to discuss follow-up projects and opportunities for investment and cooperation.

The forum began with welcoming remarks by Lee Ki-bong, Director General for Urban Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), followed by congratulatory remarks by Jacek Karnowski, Secretary of State at Poland’s Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy. Both officials emphasized the importance of developing plans tailored to the needs of each city based on government-to-government (G2G) trust and cooperation, and translating those plans into follow-up projects and private-sector participation.

The forum presented interim results and future implementation plans for three K-City Network projects currently underway this year: ▲ the Alatau Smart Town Project in Kazakhstan; ▲ the Aero-City Project near Tashkent New International Airport in Uzbekistan; and ▲ the Lublin Smart City Master Plan and Integrated Control Center Project in Poland.

Before the presentation of each project, government and municipal representatives from the partner countries directly outlined their local policy needs and future urban visions. From Kazakhstan, the head of the Alatau Development Authority, which oversees the Alatau New City development, visited Korea to present the city’s development vision and the government’s commitment to advancing the project. The Mayor of Lublin, Poland, conveyed his expectations for the project and commitment to cooperation through a separate video message. Representatives from the organizations implementing each project then introduced key development concepts, implementation directions, and potential business opportunities for Korean companies.

During the business networking session held as the final part of the forum, representatives of Korean companies engaged directly with their counterparts to discuss project conditions and potential participation, exploring concrete opportunities for cooperation and investment.

In particular, the session focused on specific business areas, including residential and industrial complex development in Kazakhstan, airport-related industrial development and inland logistics in Uzbekistan, and integrated control centers and smart intersections in Poland. Key topics discussed included ▲ support and incentives from local governments; ▲ the timing of participation by SMEs and mid-sized companies; and ▲ financing strategies for project implementation. Based on the needs identified by partner countries and the areas of interest expressed by Korean companies, KIND plans to continue working-level discussions and review concrete opportunities for project participation and investment.

Lee Jae-yong, Executive Vice President of the Smart City Division at Hyundai Motor Group, also delivered a presentation titled “KIND-Hyundai Motor Group Global Smart City Joint Projects Based on G2G Cooperation.” Since signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last year, KIND and Hyundai Motor Group have continued working-level discussions. At the forum, they shared their direction for pursuing joint projects that combine G2G cooperation with private-sector urban and mobility technologies and solutions.

“This forum was meaningful in that representatives from our partner countries directly presented their project visions and commitment to implementation, while Korean companies engaged in concrete discussions on potential participation,” a KIND official said. “We will continue our follow-up cooperation so that the outcomes of K-City Network planning projects can lead to overseas business opportunities for Korean companies and tangible development, demonstration, and investment projects.”