2026 HackTheon Sejong

Greetings from HackTheon

Cybersecurity Strategy in the Era of AI Transformation, 2026 HackTheon Sejong!

HackTheon Sejong is a portmanteau of Hacker, Pantheon (meaning 'the gathering place of the gods'), and Sejong, embodying the vision of cybersecurity talents converging in Sejong. Since its inaugural edition in 2022, the event has been held annually with the goal of strengthening cybersecurity capabilities and nurturing the next generation of Cybersecurity professionals.

As we enter the era of AI-driven transformation, cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex. Cybersecurity has now become a critical foundation not only for protecting individuals and businesses, but also for safeguarding a nation’s digital competitiveness and trust.

Through this event, Cybersecurity experts, companies, and public institutions from Korea and around the world will come together to share the latest Cybersecurity technologies and response strategies. We look forward to this event serving as a meaningful platform for expanding collaboration among organizations and contributing to a safer, more trustworthy digital ecosystem.
Thank you.

- 2026 HackTheon Sejong Organizing Committee -

Event Name	2026 HackTheon Sejong AI·Cybersecurity Conference
Date / Venue	July 9-10, 2026 (Thu–Fri, KST) / Government Sejong Convention Center (SCC)
Organizer / Host	Sejong City, National Intelligence Service (NIS) / Korea University Sejong (Information Security Specialized University Program Office, Software-Centered University Project Group, RISE Project Group), Hongik University (Sejong), Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, Defense Technology Protection Research Institute
Sponsor	Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Climate Energy and Environment, Personal Information Protection Commission, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, National Security Research Institute, Korea Internet & Security Agency, Science & Technology Policy Institute, Sejong University, Sungshin Women's University, Soongsil University, Kyung Hee University, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Chungnam National University, Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology (KIISC), Korea Information Security Industry Association (KISIA), Sejong Technopark, Korea Cybersecurity Association (KACS), Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation
Main Contents	2026 International Collegiate Cybersecurity Competition, AI·Cybersecurity Conference, Corporate Technology Exhibition
Associated Event	Space Security Research Forum, Quantum Security Research Forum, Science and Technology Information Privacy Council, National Cybersecurity Seminar, AI Innovation Idea Competition, etc.
Registration Desk Operating Hours	July 9-10, 2026 (Thu–Fri), 09:00 – 18:00 (KST)

2026 HackTheon Sejong International Collegiate Cybersecurity Competition

Competition Name	2026 HackTheon Sejong International Collegiate Cybersecurity Competition
Eligibility Criteria	Undergraduate students from within and outside the country ※Graduate students are not eligible
Team Requirement	Maximum 4 people including the team leader in 1 team One person cannot be in more than 1 team, or one team(person) cannot be in more than 1 category (Advanced, Beginner A and Beginner B) The team name should be 15 characters or less and should be a name that well expresses the team characteristics, but use of team names that are inappropriate due to social norms is restricted.
Competition Categories	Advanced, Beginner A and Beginner B * Only Korean nationals can apply for Beginner A and non-Korean nationals can apply for Beginner B. Multinational teams including Korean nationals may apply for either the Beginner A or Beginner B. * If you have a record of winning the 'HackTheon Sejong' competition (regardless of discipline), you are not eligible to participate in the beginner division.
Prize	Total : 14 Teams, 38 Million KRW Advanced Category : Grand Prize (1 team) KRW 10 million/Excellence Prize (2 teams) KRW 5 million each/Merit Prize (4 teams) KRW 3 million each Beginner Category : Grand Prize (1 team) KRW 2 million/Excellence Prize (2 teams) KRW 1 million each/Merit Prize (4 teams) KRW 500,000 each
Competition Schedule (KST)	Application Period March 23-April 22, 2026 (Mon-Wed, KST) Preliminaries April 25, 2026 (Sat) 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ※Online Finals July 9, 2026 (Thu) 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Awards Ceremony July 10, 2026 (Fri) 10:00 a.m ※ Write-up(09:00 a.m.~)
Location (Finals & Awards)	Finals : Grand Banquet Hall(4F) Awards ceremony : Special Exhibition Hall(2F)