Public Forum on Livelihoods to Transform AI and Mobility Industry Landscape
"AI Gifted High School to Open in 2027... I Will Personally Oversee It"
President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the 28th "Public Discussion on Livelihoods with the People" held on the 5th at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology under the theme "Designing the Future of Gwangju with Advanced Technology and Culture." [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the afternoon of the 5th, President Yoon Suk-yeol held the 28th People's Livelihood Discussion Forum at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) in Gwangju Metropolitan City under the theme "Designing the Future of Gwangju with Advanced Technology and Culture." He stated, "I will actively support the development of Gwangju so that the city of democracy can design its future with advanced technology and culture, becoming a central city that attracts attention from Asia and, further, the world."
President Yoon held the People's Livelihood Discussion Forum in Gwangju two months after the Jeonbuk forum in July, listening to local residents' concerns and discussing development plans. This visit to Gwangju marks 110 days since his visit to the 5·18 Democratic Cemetery during the May 5·18 Democratic Movement Commemoration Ceremony in May.
In his opening remarks, President Yoon emphasized, "Gwangju must leap forward as a city of advanced technology and a global cultural city, becoming a driving force for South Korea's growth," adding, "We will significantly transform Gwangju's advanced industrial landscape based on artificial intelligence (AI) and mobility." He presented three development visions for Gwangju: ▲ an advanced technology city leading future industries through AI and mobility ▲ a global cultural hub city shining with culture ▲ a vibrant city where citizens enjoy a good quality of life.
President Yoon introduced his visits to AI data centers twice in April 2022 after being elected president in December 2021 during his presidential candidacy, evaluating that Gwangju is laying a solid foundation for the AI industry. He also stressed, "For the sustainable growth of the AI industry, nurturing talent is paramount," and pledged, "I will personally and meticulously ensure that the AI gifted high school promised during the presidential election and the 2022 Emergency Economic Livelihood Meeting opens smoothly in 2027."
"Fostering an Autonomous Driving Future Mobility Industry Ecosystem"
President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the 28th "Public Discussion on Livelihoods" held on the theme of "Designing the Future of Gwangju with Advanced Technology and Culture" at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology on the 5th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
He continued, "Using Gwangju's AI infrastructure, we will nurture Gwangju as the center of the autonomous driving future mobility industry ecosystem." President Yoon said, "If Gwangju's more than 70 small and medium-sized enterprises and supporting institutions related to autonomous vehicles are combined with AI infrastructure, greater synergy can be achieved," and mentioned, "Once the Gwangju-Yeongam Autobahn expressway, announced during the presidential election and the Jeonnam People's Livelihood Discussion Forum last March, is constructed, it can be used as a demonstration testbed for autonomous vehicles utilizing AI technology."
He promised to invest 53.4 billion KRW over the next five years to support the Gwangju Autonomous Driving Small and Medium-sized Materials, Parts, and Equipment (SoBuJang) Specialized Complex, designated last July, without delay. He explained that regulations similar to greenbelt restrictions will be eased at the candidate site for the Gwangju Future Car National Industrial Complex, spanning one million pyeong in Gwangsan-gu, to enable the rapid establishment of the industrial complex.
118.1 Billion KRW Invested by 2027 to Build New Biennale Exhibition Hall
President Yoon declared, "We will make Gwangju a global cultural hub city representing South Korea." He evaluated Gwangju as a cultural center city equipped with top cultural and artistic infrastructure nationwide, including the Gwangju Biennale, the National Asia Culture Center, and the Gwangju National Museum, and said that 118.1 billion KRW will be invested by 2027 to build a new Biennale exhibition hall to strengthen Gwangju's international cultural and artistic status.
The site of the former Sangmu Incineration Plant, once an undesirable facility, will be transformed by investing 51.6 billion KRW by next year to build the Gwangju Representative Library, and an additional 43.6 billion KRW will be invested by 2028 to convert it into a complex cultural community facility. The National Gwangju Museum will receive 29.9 billion KRW by next year to establish a Ceramics Culture Hall, creating a hub encompassing underwater relics from Sinan and Asian ceramic culture.
He also pledged to attract more visitors to Gwangju through the Local 100 project, which discovers and supports Gwangju's unique brand using its attractions and content. President Yoon said, "For Gwangju to grow into a true Asian central city leading cultural and artistic exchanges, it is more important to properly utilize existing cultural infrastructure and cultivate the region's unique charm to make it a city everyone wants to visit than merely building new cultural facilities." He particularly emphasized that since the National Asia Culture Center is a facility with massive government investment, Gwangju city and the government must work together to maximize the investment's effectiveness.
Developing a Regional Core Hospital Responsible for Essential Medical Care
Additionally, regarding the complex shopping mall construction project targeted for completion in 2027, he pledged support for improving transportation accessibility, including the construction of the Gwangju Metropolitan Rapid Transit Bus (BRT). President Yoon stated, "We will nurture a regional core hospital responsible for essential medical care in the Gwangju and Jeonnam areas and significantly increase investment in regional healthcare so that residents can enjoy medical services comparable to those in the metropolitan area."
President Yoon also mentioned the importance of safe water supply measures to respond to climate change, such as the drought that struck the southern region last spring. He added that support will be provided to ensure the Yeongsan River is properly utilized as a drinking water source for Gwangju citizens by improving water quality and securing water quantity.
In his closing remarks, President Yoon said, "During the second phase of the AI data center project, we will boldly and proactively handle the preliminary feasibility study (PFS) part. Ultimately, since cloud server capacity and information transfer speed are crucial, I ask the Ministry of Science and ICT to prioritize establishing the communication system in this region." Regarding the complex shopping mall construction, he said, "The central government will generously support various aspects so that Gwangju citizens can enjoy a prosperous culture through the complex shopping mall."
He added, "It would be good to focus on discussing the Yeosu World Islands Expo as an agenda item at the Central-Local Cooperation Meeting," and promised, "Since it holds great significance for the development of tourism on the southern coast, the central government will actively support it." Regarding the relocation of the Gwangju military airport, President Yoon said, "We will strive to repurpose Songjeong Airfield (military airport) for other uses as soon as possible."
About 80 people attended the forum, including Gwangju citizens, businesspeople, cultural artists, researchers, parents, and members of the Gwangju Metropolitan City Local Era Committee. From the government, Woo Dong-gi, chairman of the Local Era Committee, and Yoo In-chon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, attended. From the region, Kang Ki-jung, mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, was present. From the Presidential Office, Policy Chief Seong Tae-yoon, Public Relations Chief Lee Do-woon, Economic Chief Park Chun-seop, and Social Chief Jang Sang-yoon were also in attendance.
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