2025 KRIHS-IDB Urban Development Academy (KIUDA)

Date:   Monday, September 22 ~ Friday, September 26, 2025

Venue : The Fraser Place Namdaemun Hotel, Seoul / KRIHS, Sejong

Theme :  2025 KRIHS-IDB Urban Development Academy (KIUDA)

The Global Development Partnership Center(GDPC) at Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements(KRIHS) jointly hosted 「The 10th KRIHS-IDB Urban Development Academy(KIUDA)」 with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) from September 22(Monday) to 26(Friday) at the Fraser Place Namdaemun Hotel(Namdaemun Room) in Seoul and the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements(KRIHS) in Sejong.

The five-day program brought together 11 participants, including nine senior government officials from Latin American countries—Panama, El Salvador, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, and Costa Rica—and two IDB representatives. The participants exchanged insights on Korea’s experiences in national territorial development and current trends and key issues in urban policy across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Held under the theme “Digital Transformation and Data-Driven Urban and Housing Policy,” the program combined expert lectures on urban and housing development, transportation and geospatial information, and urban resilience with on-site visits to observe Korea’s real-world applications of smart urban development. Participants toured Gwanghwamun Square, Cheonggyecheon Stream, the National Land Development Exhibition Hall, Gyeongui Line Forest Park, Seoul TOPIS(Transport Operation & Information Service), the Sejong City Promotion Hall, and the Digital Government Exhibition and Experience Center.

The opening ceremony on Monday, September 22 featured welcoming remarks by Panki Cho, Vice President of KRIHS, followed by congratulatory speeches from Diego Arcia, Senior Specialist at IDB, and Woojin Jung, Director General for Urban Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), as well as Tatiana Gallego, Chief of the IDB Housing and Urban Development Division. The ceremony was attended by Ambassadors from Colombia, Costa Rica, and Uruguay, along with the Deputy Chief of Mission of Paraguay and the Counselor of El Salvador.

In the networking session on Thursday, September 25, representatives from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport(MOLIT), Korea Land and Housing Corporation(LH), Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corporation(LX), Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation(HUG), and Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation(KIND) introduced their institutions and discussed potential areas for future cooperation through a Q&A session.

On Friday, September 26, participants presented proposals for potential collaboration projects with Korea, drawing on the experiences and knowledge gained throughout the academy, thereby paving the way for continued partnerships between Korea and Latin America.

During the closing ceremony, Diego Arcia of the IDB praised the academy as a meaningful and invaluable experience, emphasizing that such firsthand exposure cannot be replaced by theory alone. He also noted the importance of designing the future according to each country’s unique circumstances, rather than comparing stages of development. Saheum Hong, Director of GDPC at KRIHS, reaffirmed KRIHS’s commitment to advancing sustainable societies through research and policy, vowing to continue sharing Korea’s accumulated expertise to promote mutual growth.

Based on discussions held during the program, KRIHS and IDB plan to further explore concrete cooperation opportunities tailored to each participating country’s urban development priorities.