Korea has successfully won a bid to host a large-scale conference—the 23rd IFAC World Congress—that will take place Aug. 20-25, 2026, in Busan, South Korea (pictured above), welcoming about 3,500 delegates.
The decision was unveiled during the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) board meeting held Sept. 8 in Vienna.
Korea Tourism Organization, Busan Tourism Organization and Control Robot Systems Society, Korea’s member of IFAC, supported the bid. In 2018, KTO appointed Vice President of IFAC, Professor Cho Dong-il, as the honorary Korea MICE ambassador. In addition, KTO supported the bid by conducting site inspections and hosting events such as Korea Night.
Founded in 1957, the International Federation of Automatic Control is focused on automatic control and its representation in the fields of engineering, science and the impact of control technology on society. Its growing community includes members from 50 countries. Previous congresses were held in France (2017) and South Africa (2014). Next year’s Congress will be held in Berlin, Germany.
Meanwhile, KTO provides support for international meetings held in Korea which last more than three days, involve five participating countries, with more than 100 foreign participants. For large-scale events that qualify for the international convention criteria with more than 2,000 participants, KTO provides step-by-step customized support.
“At international conventions, a large number of experts visit Korea from overseas and conduct academic exchanges,” says Oh Choong-sub, head of the convention team at Korea Tourism Organization. “This has significant effect not just on related industries in Korea, but on Korean tourism as well. Particularly, the IFAC World Congress in Busan will have significant impact on the local economy and help to raise global awareness about Korea.”
Under the Korea Tourism Organization, KMB aims to establish Korea as a top meeting and incentive travel destination. KMB serves as liaison to local convention bureaus, venues, PCO, and DMC to ensure an organized planning and successful execution of events. For more info, visit www.koreaconvention.org.
