Gyeongsangbuk-do, in collaboration with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Gimcheon City, and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, held the '2026 Korea Tuning Car Festival' for two days from the 30th to the 31st at the Gimcheon Comprehensive Sports Town area. The event showcased tuning technology alongside future mobility technologies such as AI and autonomous driving.

Held annually since 2022, the Korea Tuning Car Festival is South Korea's largest experiential mobility festival designed to spread a sound tuning culture and revitalize the automotive aftermarket industry.

This year's festival was organized around three main strategies—Future, Family & Fun, and Fair & Safe—featuring future technology exhibitions, family-oriented experiences, and traffic safety programs. Going beyond traditional tuning technology, the event highlighted the convergence of advanced technologies centered on AI, future mobility, and autonomous driving.

Various tuned cars and related parts were exhibited at the festival site. Autonomous shuttle exhibitions and experiences featuring domestic AI and autonomous driving companies, drone performances, and VR experiences were also held.

A World Bike Stunt Competition featuring top-tier international pro-riders and an off-road hill climb took place as well. Family-oriented mobility play zones, including RC car experiences and balance bikes, received enthusiastic responses from family visitors, including children.

Public interest programs were also operated to raise traffic safety awareness. The event featured the TS Safe Driving Education Experience Center, which promotes proper driving habits, alongside safety campaigns such as vehicle rollover and escape training.

The festival provided visitors with an opportunity to experience tuning technology and cutting-edge mobility. For participating companies and organizations, it served as a platform to promote their technologies and components.

The province and Gimcheon City plan to step-by-step expand the Electric Vehicle Tuning Safety Center and aftermarket component support infrastructure, building upon the existing Tuning Industry Support Center. They aim to develop Gimcheon into a specialized hub city for future-car tuning.

"The tuning industry is evolving beyond simple component replacement into a high-value mobility industry that converges and verifies future-car new technologies," said Yang Geum-hee, Economic Vice Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do. "We will spare no multifaceted support so that local companies can grow into leading enterprises in the global future-car aftermarket market."

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