South Korea will demonstrate its tech prowess under an initiative that will see it utilize artificial intelligence (AI)-based smart city technologies to support six metropolises in Southeast Asia in tackling urban problems that have been plaguing administrations for decades.
The 2026 K-City Network program is a product of South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT), intended to give major cities in Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam relief from urban woes, such as traffic congestion and poor disaster response, while promoting the global expansion of domestic firms and smart city development.
South Korea first launched the program in 2020 to promote sustainable development with partner cities through its urban model and smart technologies.
This year, 34 projects were reviewed for the K-City Network program, with MOLIT selecting the most promising and impactful ones based on technological innovativeness, commercialization potential, and how much they could help expand into international markets.
AI-based smart city projects at a glance
In Brunei, MOLIT, with support from local authorities in the oil-rich country, will leverage AI in developing a smart city integrated platform to help with water management and disaster response. While South Korea will issue the model and expertise, Bruneian firms will provide the technology and services needed for the project’s realization. If successful, the participating companies will have the opportunity to export their technology, opening them up to more business opportunities.
Over in the Philippines, the city of Bacoor will be the testbed for an AI-based smart traffic management platform, which aims to analyze traffic conditions in real-time and implement signal optimization. Traffic has long been a problem in the Philippines, with the country losing an estimated 3.5 billion pesos ($58.3 million) daily to this.
In Vietnam, two cities were included under the 2026 K-City Network program—Ho Chi Minh and Can Tho. For the municipality of Ho Chi Minh, South Korean and local authorities will collaborate on introducing a new type of public transport service that uses AI and Big Data. This is intended to provide locals with a more flexible and efficient transport system that better meets people’s needs.
In the city of Can Tho, reducing traffic accidents and making roads safer are the goals, with authorities looking at deploying an AI-based incident detection system with smart intersection control technology.
A similar project will also be piloted in Penang, Malaysia, in which authorities will deploy an AI-CCTV-based traffic management system to help detect road accidents and traffic congestion in real time.
From water management and traffic, South Korean authorities will also impart their knowledge and expertise in providing solutions to make old buildings safer in Surin, Thailand. Using AI, they are looking into creating a system to monitor the building’s condition, paired with devices that reduce the edifice’s shaking, especially during earthquakes.
MOLIT has yet to announce the details as to when these pilots will take place.
Pushing AI smart cities overseas
While the projects are building anticipation, MOLIT Director General for Urban Policy Kim Hyo-jung said this year’s program emphasizes the growing importance of smart cities beyond building infrastructure; they are now becoming “intelligent systems” with the help of AI.
Not only does the MOLIT aim to demonstrate the potential of AI to transform city management systems, but it also showcases how South Korea’s AI-based urban technologies actually work.
“Through this project, we plan to prove on the ground that Korea-style AI urban technologies can contribute to solving real problems in overseas cities and expand them into a city-level export industry,” said Kim.
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Source: https://coingeek.com/south-korea-aids-6-asean-cities-with-ai-based-smart-city-tech/