"AI, XR, games and esports combine to open a new path for K-content": Entertech, Seoul and GES 2026 conclude successfully

[Financial News] The K-content convergence festivals Entertech, Seoul and Games & Esports Seoul 2026 (GES 2026), which combined content and cutting-edge technology with games and esports, concluded on a high note after attracting approximately 44,000 visitors. With a total of 981 companies participating from overseas as well, the events went beyond exhibitions and hands-on experiences to link content production, technology cooperation, investment and distribution consultations. They were seen as an opportunity to confirm the growth potential of Seoul's creative industries.
 According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) on the 20th, approximately 44,000 people visited the two events, held from the 17th through the 20th at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) and the JW Marriott Dongdaemun. The events also drew significant international interest, with a total of 981 companies participating, including content and technology companies, buyers and investors from 30 countries.
 This year's events were organized around two pillars. The first was Entertech, which applies artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality (XR) and virtual technology to Seoul's major content industries, including K-pop, video and games. The second was games and esports, encompassing citizen-participatory gaming culture and the broader industry ecosystem.
 At the opening ceremony of Entertech, Seoul, Kim Jung-han, vice president of CJ ENM, delivered a keynote speech titled "Next-K Created by the AI Content Ecosystem and K-OTT." Professor Chang Wook Ahn of Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) vividly demonstrated the changes AI will bring to content planning and production through presentations on AI music and video creation. 
 Programs linked to the SPP International Content Market were also actively held. During the event, a total of 1,344 business and investment consultations took place through one-on-one meetings, the Buyer's Club showcase and customized investment consultations, generating prospective contracts worth $240 million.
 DDP Art Hall and Eoullim Plaza were transformed into spaces where visitors could experience global game IPs, Seoul's indie games, esports matches and citizen-participation programs in one place.
 At Art Hall 1, domestic and international game companies, including Blizzard Entertainment, Com2uS and Sega Publishing Korea, held demonstrations and hands-on events for their major games. Art Hall 2 and the Conference Hall hosted a series of esports events, including the Seoul Play-Up AI Game Challenge awards ceremony, the finals of the 2026 Seoul Cup and Krafton PUBG PWS Phase 2.
 Sim-racing competitions and exhibitions, including the Hyundai N Racing Master Cup and Hyundai N Virtual Cup, combined the automotive industry with gaming and broadened the scope of game-content applications. The Nexus Play Zone, featuring Mercedes-Benz Korea, Smilegate Future Lab and NC AI, showcased entries from the Seoul Play-Up AI Game Challenge.
 Park Bo-kyung, acting CEO of the Seoul Business Agency, said, "We will actively support follow-up investment and expand distribution channels so that Seoul's core content, including K-pop and games, can combine with innovative technologies to break into new global markets."

[email protected] Kim Hyun-chul Reporter