LG Electronics Hosts Global Disabled Youth IT Challenge as APEC Side Event

by Kim HyeongMin

Published 30 Oct.2025 11:55(KST)

Finals of the Global Disabled Youth IT Challenge Held in Ulsan
92 Youth with Disabilities from 16 Countries Participate
Competing in Four Categories Including AI-based Information Retrieval
Bridging the Digital Divide for Disabled Youth
Establishing a Foundation for Social Advancement
The Only Disability-related Event Among APEC Summit Side Events

LG Electronics announced on the 30th that it is holding the finals of the 2025 Global Disabled Youth IT Challenge (GITC) for three days starting from the 29th at Hotel Hyundai by Lahan Ulsan, located in Dong-gu, Ulsan Metropolitan City.

Participants competing in the 'eCombination' category, which involves AI-based information retrieval and document processing, at the finals of the '2025 Global Disabled Youth IT Challenge' hosted by LG Electronics. Photo by LG Electronics

The GITC is the world’s only international IT competition for disabled youth, launched in 2011 with the aim of enhancing IT skills among disabled youth worldwide and supporting their entry into society. It is hosted by LG, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and organized by LG Electronics, the GITC Organizing Committee, and others. The participating countries have expanded beyond Korea and other Asian nations to include countries in the Middle East and Africa. Over the past 14 years, more than 4,500 participants from 40 countries have taken part in the event.

This year, the event gained further significance as it was the only disability-related program held as part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit side events. A total of 92 youth with physical, visual, hearing, and developmental disabilities, who were selected through preliminary rounds in 16 countries, participated in the competition.

The participating youth competed in four main categories: the eCombination Challenge, which involves AI-based information retrieval and document processing; the eCreative_Smart Car Challenge, which evaluates autonomous vehicle programming skills; the eCreative_Internet of Things (IoT) Challenge, which focuses on technological ideas and IT capabilities; and the eContent Challenge, which assesses video production skills. For the first time, a demonstration event was held for coding skills, where participants created AI-powered interactive games, receiving a positive response from the competitors.

During the event, participants also had opportunities to experience and share Korean culture, such as enjoying K-pop performances, wearing Hanbok, and trying traditional games. The GITC has served as a stepping stone for disabled youth, helping them advance into IT-related academic fields or successfully find employment, thereby supporting their entry into society.

Yoon Daesik, Executive Vice President for External Relations at LG Electronics, stated, "Through the GITC, we will continue to support youth who aspire to work in the IT field, helping them overcome disabilities, enter society, and communicate with the world."