GroundK has won the transport service contract for the APEC 2025 KOREA Summit in Gyeongju in a consortium with Kumho Express. Following its operation of the informal senior officials' meeting (ISOM) and three rounds of Senior Officials' Meetings (SOM) held in Gyeongju, Jeju, and Incheon, GroundK will now handle transport for the October summit itself.
A shuttle system covering every participant
Transport for a summit-level international event is more than moving people from place to place; it reflects the host country's operational capability. At the center of this operation is a shuttle system that covers not only official protocol vehicles but the movement of every participant attending the event.
GroundK is building routes that connect southeastern airports such as Gimhae, along with KTX stations and the Seoul metropolitan area, to Gyeongju, together with a proprietary IT system that lets participants check real-time shuttle information without installing an app or signing up. The goal is to deliver confusion-free travel even amid limited waiting space and the highly variable schedule of an international summit.
Combining large-scale transport with startup technology
The project combines the large-scale transport capacity of Kumho Express — Korea's leading express-bus operator — with GroundK's protocol-transport operations expertise and fleet-control technology. Kumho Express brings experience from major international events including the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and the Incheon Asian Games, while GroundK has controlled fleets of hundreds of vehicles in real time through its proprietary fleet-management systems.
With APEC, GroundK takes on its fourth summit-level international assignment, following the 2019 ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit, the 2023 Korea-Pacific Islands Summit, and the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit. Drawing on its accumulated experience and technology, the company plans to deliver safe, precise mobility services and demonstrate the strength of K-Mobility on the global stage.
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