[Interview] Seon Seok-gi, Head of Gwangju Economic Free Zone Authority, "Will Make This the First Year to Leap as a Global Hub City"

Four Economic Free Zones Set 90% Sales Rate Target
"Full Effort to Attract Investment and Companies in AI Convergence Industry"
"Preparing for the Future through Strategic Expansion of Economic Free Zones"

Seon Seok-gi, the newly appointed head of the Gwangju Free Economic Zone Authority, is being interviewed by reporters in his office on the 24th.
[Photo by Jin-hyung Park]

"We will focus on attracting companies in key sectors such as AI convergence industries to establish Gwangju as a global central city."

Seon Seok-gi, the newly appointed head of the Gwangju Free Economic Zone Authority, emphasized this in an interview with Asia Economy on the 24th, stating, "We will discover new growth engines and make this year the first year of a great leap forward."

The Gwangju Free Economic Zone Authority was launched in January 2021, marking its third year this year. Its goal is to nurture a hub for global companies' activities by providing various regulatory relaxations and tax reduction benefits to companies residing in the free economic zone.

Currently, the free economic zone consists of four districts in the areas of Gwangsan-gu, Buk-gu, and Nam-gu, covering an area of 1.32 million pyeong, with an industrial land sales rate of 70.3% as of the end of last year.

The Gwangju Free Economic Zone Authority has so far focused its efforts on infrastructure development such as district development for three core strategic industries: AI convergence, future automobiles, and smart energy. This year is a crucial time to achieve tangible results such as job creation and expanded foreign investment based on these business systems.

At the center of this is Seon, a former official of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), who is preparing to take a leap forward by drawing a new economic map.

Seon said, "Although we are a latecomer established in 2021, we have been recognized for the potential of new growth engines in the Korean economy through AI convergence industries, future automobile industries, and smart energy industries," adding, "We will leverage the geographical advantage of being located near the city center and raise the average sales rate of the four industrial complexes to over 90%."

He particularly explained, "We expect the Advanced 3rd District, home to the country's only AI convergence complex, to become a representative cluster as we are building AI core infrastructure such as data centers."

The AI convergence complex supports office space for venture and startup companies and houses a total of 77 types of demonstration equipment in the automobile, energy, and healthcare sectors, as well as the 'National AI Data Center.' All support services are provided in a one-stop manner. Recruitment for resident companies is planned for July.

Seon emphasized, "Gwangju's differentiated strength lies above all in being based on AI, a core field of the 4th Industrial Revolution," and added, "We have entered an era where no product or service can secure competitiveness without integrating artificial intelligence."

He continued, "We are operating as the country's only AI Free Economic Zone to restructure Gwangju's future food industry based on Gwangju-type jobs and AI," and said, "We will concentrate a massive data reservoir, world-class computing resources, and infrastructure for startups, research, and talent development centered on the AI Data Center in one place."

Furthermore, he revealed, "Following the designation of a 1 million pyeong site near the Bitgreen Industrial Complex as a candidate for the national future car industrial complex in March, we will promote the expansion of the free economic zone accordingly."

To this end, he added, "We will work closely with the city and actively pursue the strategic expansion of the Gwangju Free Economic Zone to thoroughly prepare for the future." The plan is to attract promising companies in electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles, autonomous vehicles, and batteries to establish a hub for the eco-friendly car transition.

Seon stated, "Our fundamental role is to attract good companies to the free economic zone and create an environment conducive to their business activities, thereby contributing to the development of Gwangju's economy," and pledged, "We will operate a visiting office for the head and establish regular communication channels to listen to companies' difficulties and actively resolve complaints."

In conclusion, he said, "To achieve substantial results, I will inject motivation and vitality throughout the organization," and added, "We will expand communication channels vertically and horizontally to build consensus among members regarding the organization's vision and strategy."