On July 7, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Road Association held the 2026 Road Day Commemoration Ceremony at Construction Hall in Gangnam-gu. Seoul.
They awarded those who contributed to the development of the road industry and proclaimed a vision for future roads.
This year’s event was held under the theme of “AI & Digital Innovation, the New Mobility Era! Safe and Sustainable K-Road” and was attended by Kim Yun-duk, minister of land, infrastructure and transport, Yoo Jung-hoon, chairman of the Korea Road Association and president of Korea Expressway Corporation and officials from the road and transportation sector.
“Aside from homes and workplaces, people spend the largest amount of time on roads,” Minister Kim said in his congratulatory remarks.
“In line with the era of Korea’s transformation to AI, roads need to incorporate cutting-edge technology, but safety must be the top priority above all else.”
“If the Gyeongbu Expressway was the starting point of Korea’s economic growth during the industrialization era, future roads must evolve into a national growth platform connecting AI, data, autonomous driving, and digital infrastructure,” Chairman Yoo said.
“Now road development boosts a nation’s national competitiveness,” Yoo said.
“We must expand smart construction and data-based technologies and strengthen safety through AI-based risk prediction systems. I will lead a new leap forward for Korea’s road industry based on a fair industrial ecosystem and public-private cooperation.”
At the event, the Korean government’s prizes were conferred on individuals who contributed to the development of the Korean road industry.
The highest honor, the Order of Industrial Service Merit, was awarded to Kim Ki-sung, president of Highcon Engineering for his contributions to the construction of the national trunk transportation network and the advancement of road technology.
At the end of the ceremony, Minister Kim, Chairman Yoo and heads of construction, engineering, and road-related companies and organizations held a road vision proclamation ceremony, pledging to build future roads based on AI and digital technology and to foster a safety-centered, sustainable road industry.
Road Day was established to commemorate the opening of the Gyeongbu Expressway on July 7, 1970.
On this day, the attendees reflected on the significance of roads as the foundation of Korea’s economic growth and shared their determination to sharpen Korea’s national competitiveness by building smart roads that respond to the era of AI and new mobility.
On June 11, Yoo Jung-hoon, president of Korea Expressway Corp., is delivering his inaugural address at the company’s headquarters in Gimcheon. (Photo: Korea Expressway Corp.)
Inauguration of Yoo as 20th President of Korea Expressway Corp.
Korea Expressway Corporation announced on June 11 that President Yoo Jung-hoon took office as the 20th president.
New President Yoo began his official schedule by visiting the Yeoju Service Station on the Yeongdong Expressway first.
After receiving a briefing on current issues, including recently controversial food prices at service stations, President Yoo expressed strong will to bring innovation to the operational structure of rest areas.
“We must take structural problems very seriously, such as a multi-level operational structure that incurs high commissions for tenants of service stations and the operation of service station areas by retired Korea Expressway Corporation employees,” President Yoo emphasized.
“It is our top priority to restore public trust through rapid and strong institutional reforms.”
Yoo then paid his respects at the memorial tower for fallen employees at the Icheon Service Station on the Jungbu Expressway.
Later, at his inauguration ceremony held at the headquarters in Gimcheon, President Yoo announced four key priorities — winning more public trust, transitioning into a future platform enterprise, establishing a balanced main artery and innovating safety and logistics and establishing a culture of fairness and mutual growth.
President Yoo is an expert in transportation and infrastructure.
He served as a professor in the Department of Transportation Systems Engineering at Ajou University, president of the Korean Society of Transportation and a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Area Transportation Committee of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
He is expected to lead the mobility innovation of the Korea Expressway Corporation.
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