Proactive Response to Global Trends Such as AI and Quantum Computing
Pohang Aims to Become a World-Class Advanced Science and Industry City
Revitalizing the Old Downtown
Full-Scale Promotion of Vacant House Maintenance Projects as a Catalyst for Urban Competitiveness
Mayor Lee Gang-deok of Pohang urged officials to dedicate themselves to their work so that Pohang can leap forward as a city with globally leading competitiveness based on innovation and collaboration.
On the 4th, Mayor Lee Gang-deok of Pohang urged everyone to devote themselves to their duties so that Pohang can leap forward as a city with globally leading competitiveness based on innovation and collaboration. Photo by Pohang City
On the 4th, Pohang City held an expanded executive meeting for February in the city hall's large conference room, presided over by Mayor Lee Gang-deok.
The meeting proceeded in order, starting with a report from the Digital Convergence Industry’s ‘Digital Convergence Planning Team’s Visit to the United States,’ followed by a thematic report from the Apartment Housing Division on ‘Innovative Measures for Vacant Buildings and Empty Houses to Revitalize the City.’
The planning team recently visited major global big tech companies leading the artificial intelligence (AI) market, such as Microsoft headquarters in Seattle and Boeing’s smart factory, to examine AI industry development strategies and shared plans to apply these strategies in Pohang as a new growth engine.
Additionally, Pohang was the only basic local government nationwide to operate a Pohang Pavilion at CES 2025 held in Las Vegas, and shared the achievement of four local companies receiving innovation awards.
Above all, reaffirming AI as the core of the future paradigm confirmed again at CES, along with global trends in advanced industries such as quantum computing and robotics, the city pledged to promptly grasp and respond to these trends, actively fostering an innovative new business ecosystem and new growth engines.
Mayor Lee especially emphasized the critical importance of securing the ‘National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computing Center,’ which will serve as a national hub infrastructure to dramatically enhance Pohang’s urban competitiveness as a leader in the AI transformation era.
Furthermore, strategies regarding vacant buildings and empty houses, which have emerged as new social issues, were shared, and ways to revitalize the economy through vacant house maintenance projects centered on the old downtown area were explored.
Vacant house maintenance is a vital policy that breathes new vitality and life into the city center, serves as a catalyst project for regional economic revitalization, and is linked to nurturing talent in regionally specialized industries such as secondary batteries and housing. Therefore, Mayor Lee urged departments to collaborate closely to make this a nationwide exemplary project.
Alongside this, he called for thorough efforts in discovering new national investment budget projects for the next year, securing supplementary budgets, and promptly executing the first half’s budget, as well as ensuring perfection in key projects such as attracting international conferences to foster the MICE industry.
He also added that, with the arrival of the thawing season, a proactive response system should be established to prevent any inconvenience to citizens in all areas including traffic and safety.
Mayor Lee Gang-deok said, “Let us passionately promote core projects for the happiness of citizens and the prosperity of future generations, and join forces to build a sustainable city, Pohang.”
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