Up to and including April 15, car enthusiasts will have the chance to see the Seoul Motor Show 2007 at the KINTEX exhibition centre in Ilsan. Information about bus and road routes is available at the KINTEX Web site.
KINTEX is one block from Daewha station at the end of line 3. A brief outline map of the area is available here. Also visit the Goyang city Web site and run your cursor over the far left of the map until the word Daewha is magnified. As the illustration shows, you need to walk down past Goyang stadium to get to the street where KINTEX stands. It is a large grey structure built in a modernistic style and can not be confused with any of the nearby apartment blocks.
Tickets to the show cost 9000 Won for adults (no student discounts) and are purchased from booths outside the main entrance. Expect long but swiftly moving queues. The exhibition opens at 10 am and closes at 6 pm.
The list of exhibitors includes Leozone, Renault Samsung, Ssangyong, Kia, Hyundai, GM Daewoo, Tata Daewoo, Volkwagen, BMW/Mini, Ford/Lincoln, Infiniti, Lexus, Cadillac/Saab, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge, Porsche, Audi/Bentley, Peugeot, Volvo and Jaguar/Land Rover.
A visit to this show really does feel like a glimpse of the future. An encouraging number of displays focus on green technologies and there is a hydrogen fuel cell city bus. There are also new concept cars with rear ends, roofs and side doors that break away from automobile design tradition.
Even if you’re not very interested in cars, a visit to the motor show makes for a pleasant and slightly strange afternoon. Quite a few of the vehicles are draped with tall slim Korean women in costumes that range from elegant ballgowns to the downright tacky. If you watch each woman for more than a few minutes it becomes clear that posing is a tiring job.
At intervals throughout the day there are acts by Korean magicians, musicians, singers, and dancers. There is even a fashion show.
Modern marketing is an art to rival anything Charles Saatchi might buy. Some of the car displays are enjoyable to watch because of the clever combinations of video, audio and exhibition decor.
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