Leading technology companies gathered for South Korea's major electronics show on Wednesday to showcase their smart gadgets, consumer electronics, mobile applications and smart electric vehicles.

Hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the 47th Korea Electronics Show 2016 kicked off at COEX in southern Seoul to run until Saturday, presenting 1,500 booths for 500 companies at home and abroad. 

This year's exhibition features electronic parts and materials, ICT products, software and mobile applications, IT convergence, consumer electronics and 3D technology.

The four-day event will provide a peek into the Internet of Things (IoT) technology and convergence of electric cars and smart gadgets.

Visitors can have hands-on experience with IoT devices that extend from smart connected homes to wearables to healthcare.

A special exhibition will feature electric vehicles connected to smart gadgets showing the great potential of convergence in the new area.

Exhibitors will have chances to meet with buyers from large Korean distributors and with foreign buyers from 20 countries, including the US, China, the EU and the Middle East.

Buyers from 72 companies in 20 nations attended the exhibition, including Haier Group, a Chinese consumer-electronics power house, British supermarket giant Tesco and Boulangar SA of France, the ministry said.

Conferences and seminars will be held on the sidelines of the event to discuss the latest global trends and product development in various IT sectors.

Venture companies will display electronic parts, software and other devices, and 10 university labs will share their original technology that can be used to develop innovative devices, it noted. (Yonhap)