[2026 BIMOS] Busan Mobility Show, Urgent Need for Mutual Prosperity to Overcome JONPE Crisis

*This content was translated by AI.

The 2026 Busan Mobility Show kicked off its 10-day journey on the 26th with a press day at Busan VEXCO. The number of participating companies is only eight, fewer than in previous years. However, the participating companies did their best to unveil new vehicles and decorate their booths with diverse content. Hyundai unveiled the Avante in a world premiere, while Kia announced its mobility expansion strategy utilizing its PV5. Chinese automaker BYD Korea also showcased a variety of new vehicles, including the Sealion 6 06 DM-i.

It is not just about new vehicles. Genesis filled its booth with diverse content capable of attracting visitors, including showcasing its motorsports capabilities. Even the chief of the Genesis Magma Racing Team appeared on stage. Not only large conglomerates but also niche automotive brands displayed their individuality through new models and tuned versions. Chabotboter stood Lee Dae-ho, a player famous as the fourth batter of the Joseon team, on stage alongside the Ineos tuned version. This means the Mobility Show is not something that can be considered small.

However, the Busan Mobility Show is always a source of concern each year. The worry is, "Will we be able to see a Mobility Show in Busan again next time?" The reason is the shrinking footprint each year. The "Capital Area Press Conference," once held in Seoul, disappeared long ago. The number of participating companies and models exhibited at the Busan Mobility Show stagnates or shrinks in scale each year. This is because the cost of participating in the Busan Mobility Show remains the same or tends to increase.

Even Renault Korea, which considers Busan its home base, did not participate in this year's 2026 Busan Mobility Show. A Renault Korea official met in Busan explained the reason for non-participation on the surface, saying, "We have no new vehicles to exhibit..." but also expressed his true feelings, asking, "How can we bear such high costs?" At this point, it is not that they "did not participate," but rather that they "could not participate." There was a reason why Renault Korea held a brand experience event at Busan Sajik Stadium during the same period.

The Busan Mobility Show secretariat also has its own circumstances. Budgets are shrinking, participation conditions for exhibitors are becoming increasingly stringent, and if admission revenue is set too low, they risk falling into a pit of deficits. The realistic problems are even greater. The Busan Motor Show, which reached a peak of 1.15 million visitors in November 2014, was halved to 620,000 by 2018, and after the 2022 pandemic, the 11th event held in 2022 saw visitor numbers drop to 480,000. Although visitor numbers recovered to 610,000 in 2024 when the event was renamed "Motor Show" to "Mobility Show" and opened its doors wider, this year both the scale and the number of participating companies have shrunk, making the results from two years ago appear as a target.

In the automotive industry, there are three major indicators used to gauge a country's level of automotive culture: motorsports, automotive museums, and motor shows. With motor shows globally entering a downward trend, the trend of transforming into mobility shows is unstoppable, so replacing "Motor Show" with "Mobility Show" would not be a problem. However, simply changing the title to "Mobility Show" will not eliminate the fundamental role. We cannot stand by as the number of participating companies and exhibited works continues to decline.

So, what makes a Mobility Show?

It is not a matter of criticism that companies based in Busan, like Renault Korea, did not participate. Rather, the organizer of the Busan Mobility Show should reflect on whether it aggressively recruited participating companies and whether it made sufficient efforts to lower the threshold for participants. Additionally, if import car brands such as Tesla Korea, Mercedes-Benz Korea, or Audi Volkswagen Korea, which record significant sales volumes in Korea, are to play a role in the development of Korea's automotive culture, they should naturally do so.Participation in the Mobility Show should not be dismissed merely as a "publicity tool." Especially, isn't the Yeongnam region a major pillar of domestic import car sales? This is the reason why participation in the Mobility Show must be revised as a culture of mutual prosperity that resonates with the region.

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*This content was translated by AI.