Korea National Railway Opens Doors to Global Railway Cooperation at 'GICC 2026'

[Financial News] Korea National Railway is expanding cooperation with major overseas clients in the railway sector, laying the groundwork for K-Rail to win more projects abroad.
Korea National Railway said on the 17th that it participated in the 'Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference (GICC) 2026,' held at Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, from the 15th for three days, and discussed various cooperation measures with major overseas ordering agencies. Hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) and organized by the International Contractors Association of Korea (ICAK), GICC is an international event designed to promote cooperation on global infrastructure projects, with ministers, vice ministers and chief executive officers of major overseas clients taking part.
At the event, Korea National Railway organized a 'Transportation Cooperation Seminar' and presented a session on 'Korean-style transit-oriented development (TOD).' It actively shared Korea's successful experience of linking railway construction with station-area development to improve access to urban centers and maximize urban value with overseas clients.
The agency also achieved a series of results in expanding its global network. Korea National Railway signed an MOU with Tajik Railways and agreed to cooperate on sharing and advising on railway project issues, exchanging information and technology, strengthening the capabilities of professional personnel, and operating a working-level consultative body. Following its 2022 MOU with Tajikistan's Ministry of Transport, the agency has now established a direct cooperation framework with the railway operator, the implementing body, raising expectations for more opportunities to win local railway projects in the future.
In addition, Korea National Railway held a series of meetings with high-level officials, including the minister of Laos's Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the secretary-general of the Panama National Railway Secretariat. The agency received updates on local infrastructure development plans and explored cooperation measures based on its technological capabilities and project management expertise. During the event, it expanded its contacts with nine organizations from eight countries and plans to actively support Korean companies' overseas expansion through promising projects identified during the conference.
Jung Jin-hyuk, chairman of Korea National Railway, said, "GICC is a key platform for identifying infrastructure development needs in each country and exploring new opportunities for cooperation. We will do our utmost to ensure that K-Rail's outstanding technology leads to actual overseas project wins based on trust with major clients."
Meanwhile, the global railway market has recently seen integrated development, encompassing station-area development and smart transportation systems as well as simple track construction or rolling stock supply, become an established trend. Accordingly, the K-Rail export strategy actively promoted by MOLIT and Korea National Railway is also focusing on a package-based overseas expansion model that combines systems engineering with urban development expertise.
[email protected] Kim Won-jun Reporter