South Korea to launch AI smart city pilot projects in Southeast Asia

South Korea's AI smart city projects will be launched as pilot programmes across five Southeast Asian countries under an initiative announced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

The 2026 K-City Network programme will test artificial intelligence-based urban solutions in Brunei, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia to solve urban problems and help Korean technology companies expand their international presence.

The South Korea AI smart city projects include six planned pilots which will test urban infrastructure improvements and service upgrades. The projects remain at their initial stage because they will undergo testing through the programme at a later time.

South Korea's AI smart city projects will establish an AI-powered water management and disaster response platform which Brunei will operate. The Philippines will test a smart traffic system in Bacoor which will optimise signal timing to decrease traffic congestion.

Vietnam projects include on-demand transport services in Ho Chi Minh City and AI-powered intersection control systems in Can Tho to improve traffic flow.

The South Korea AI smart city projects will implement a safety monitoring system for ageing buildings in Surin, Thailand, and a traffic management system which detects congestion and accidents in Penang, Malaysia.

The ministry said that South Korea's AI smart city projects will demonstrate domestic technologies through their testing process, which will occur in international markets.