IN less than two months, the 2022 UCLG World Congress will be held in Daejeon. What are the preparations and most-anticipated events? Throughout the Congress period, various linked events will be organised at Hanbit Tower and World Cup Stadium for all participants. First, a K-Pop concert will be held at the World Cup Stadium on October 11. Along with Fusion Gugak and dance teams, top vocalists and idol groups will be heating up the stage. In a bid to jump-start the recovery of energy from the pre-pandemic era, the key factor of the Korean Wave, K-Pop, will be hosted for all Congress participants to enjoy.
Around the Hanbit Tower Square, global citizens’ festivals such as drone show, busking, music fountain, media façade, flea market, festival booths, and various foods will be ready to welcome the participants. In addition, there will be invited performances by Korea’s leading pop band, “Innalchi Band” and other performances prepared by Daejeon Municipal Performing Arts Group, Daejeon Sipmu, an intangible cultural asset group, and world music group Gong Myoung.
Back-to-back with the Congress, various civic festivals such as the Science Festival, E-sports International Competition, World Flower Exhibition, Hyo (filial piety) Culture Root Festival, Art Festival, Film Festival, and Daejeon Blues Music Festival. These opportunities will allow people around the globe to mingle and interact with one another.
Smart City Exhibition with High-Tech Core Technologies
At the Smart City Exhibition, which will be held at DCC 2 from October 11 to 14, visitors can meet seven key service technologies and solutions of Korean smart cities, including energy, transportation, healthcare, and eco. At 250 booths in three zones with the theme of city, living, and tech, it will be an opportunity to experience future cities and life changes based on Korea’s tech prowess.
Daejeon is planning to enhance the status of urban spaces and science and innovation cities that combine new smart technologies based on D.N.A (Data, Network, AI). Also, the city is willing to introduce contact-free industries and related ICT infrastructure that have grown based on resources accumulated in Daedeok Innopolis. In particular, Daejeon’s latest smart city technology will be presented to visitors with experience-oriented exhibition contents that visitors can see and enjoy, such as robot shows and hologram magic shows. In addition to operating an unmanned rest area with robots, ETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute)’s two self-driving buses Expo Bridge awaits their global visitors.
As for the preparation, the 2022 Daejeon UCLG Organising Committee also held the UCLG D-100 Commemorative Event at the Expo Citizens’ Square on July 2, in hopes of hosting a successful Congress. Some 1,000 participants gathered, including the Mayor of Daejeon Metropolitan City, local members of the National Assembly, District Mayors, key leaders, volunteer members, and local citizens. Starting with a promotional video of the Daejeon UCLG World Congress, various performances were presented, ranging from volunteer launching ceremony, dance troupe show, civic concert, and drone fireworks show.
During the volunteer launching ceremony, a letter of appointment was given to the volunteer members, and the representatives read a resolution pledging active participation and thoughtful volunteering throughout the Congress period. A celebratory performance was also held with the citizens in hope of the success of the Congress.
At the civic concert, the stage was set for various dance crews and singers. Daejeon City Dance Company featured Korean traditional dance moves while the world-famous choreography team, Dokteuk Crew, showcased its signature hip-hop compositions. A new K-POP girl group ‘Hi Cutie’, voice ensemble Noi Siamo, and the country’s top vocalists, Park Sang-min and Ali joined to perform as well. Utilising drones, the last performance featured musical fireworks show that combined science and art, impressing citizens and participants.
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