WATER KOREA

This year’s exhibition saw growth in scale compared to the previous year. A special pavilion on the National Water Industry Cluster, under construction in Daegu at the time, drew strong interest from visitors.
4 international events were held, including the KWWA–ADB Joint Conference and the Korea–Vietnam Technology Conference. Additionally, the second annual sports competitions in foot volleyball and table tennis took place during the event

Held on a larger scale than in previous years, the exhibition incorporated Gwangju’s rich traditional culture into the event and featured 27 side programs.
The "One-Heart Sports Festival for water professionals“ was newly introduced, and a "Water Love Experience Hall" for children was operated throughout the exhibition, drawing families and young visitors.

Special pavilions on seawater desalination and ground subsidence were featured, drawing strong interest from visitors. In addition, 3 international conferences were held, covering asset management, ground subsidence, and natural organic matter (NOM).
In collaboration with KOTRA, an ‘Export Consultation Meeting’ was held, along with the ‘Youth Environmental Job Fair’, supporting employment in the environmental sector in the Busan and Gyeongnam regions.

A record 30+ side events were held, making it the most dynamic edition to date.
The K-water Water Technology Expo was co-hosted during WATER KOREA, drawing great attention from participating companies. A special pavilion was set up to highlight outstanding companies and promote their products. Additionally, awards were presented for top products selected by association members, and updates were made to the booth allocation criteria. The event further expanded its offerings by including official learning hour accreditation for public officials and organizing various on-site events, making the exhibition more vibrant, diverse, and engaging than ever before.

International exchange events were expanded, including the International Water Industry Conference and the Korea–China Water Forum.
For the first time, a formal reception was held to encourage networking, replacing the previously held “Water Professionals' Night”.
The first-ever Export Consultation Meeting was held, inviting 17 international buyers to conduct on-site business meetings with 38 Korean companies. This resulted in 2 direct contracts and over 100 consultations totaling USD 1.5 million in potential deals.

As the largest-ever regional edition, the event held with great success.
The 3rd International Water Industry Conference, co-hosted Conference with UN ESCAP, a business forum, technical seminars, and academic presentations brought together over 150 international guests from 13 countries, highlighting the event's growing global relevance.

This was the first WATER KOREA held in March, following a shift from its traditional November schedule.
Despite having only four months to prepare after the December 2011 edition, the event was successfully held.
It was also the first time the exhibition was held in conjunction with World Water Day Commemoration Ceremony, during which the Prime Minister and numerous VIPs visited the exhibition hall and encouraged participating companies

The International Water Industry Conference was introduced for the first time, with 22 key figures from 6 countries invited.
Unlike previous years, a separate opening ceremony was held, adding greater significance to the official launch of the event.

국제물산업컨퍼런스가 처음 실시되어 6개국 22명의 주요국가 해외인사가 초청되었습니다. 또한 예년과 달리 별도의 개막식 행사를 개최함으로써 행사의 시작을 보다 의미있게 시작하게 되었습니다.

Despite the relatively limited accessibility of the venue, a large number of stakeholders attended. Conferences and academic sessions drew sustained interest from professionals, helping the exhibition to firmly establish itself as Korea’s largest and most substantive water industry event

With international participation increasing significantly, especially through programs like the UN ESCAP Workshop, WATER KOREA’s global recognition rose noticeably. In particular, to commemorate 100 years of Korea’s water supply history, a publication titled “100 Years of Korean Waterworks” was released, and a commemorative event was held to mark the occasion.

For the first time, WATER KOREA was held in the Gyeonggi region as part of its national rotation.
A record 180 companies and 720 booths participated, and over 400 papers and case studies were presented through conferences and academic sessions, making it the largest exposition to date.

This year marked a significant milestone with visitor numbers exceeding 30,000 for the first time. This year reflected the industry's strong enthusiasm, as many long-time exhibitors timed the launch of their new products and technologies to coincide with WATER KOREA.

Compared to the inaugural event three years prior, the number of visitors doubled and the range of participating industries became more diverse. With around 130 companies and 400 booths, the exhibition achieved stability and consistency in scale.

Considerable effort was made to enrich the content of the event, which had previously focused solely on product displays. As a result, new side programs—such as the Water and Wastewater Operations Improvement Case Presentations and a closing ceremony—were introduced and held concurrently.

Held under the theme “Water, Life, and the Future,” the exhibition achieved over 40% more visitors and 30% more booths than its inaugural year. An analysis by the City of Busan estimated an economic impact of approximately KRW 3 billion over the four-day event.

This was the very first edition of WATER KOREA, launched in the same year as the founding of the Korea Water and Wastewater Works Association (KWWA). In addition to the exhibition, a variety of side events were held, including a technical skills competition, a marathon, and a “Water Professionals' Night”. All of them were designed to strengthen networking among members.