Park Hyunseok: "Industry and Labor Must Advance Together"
Kim Taewan: "Improving the Urban Environment Through Advertisement Maintenance"
The Gwangsan District Council in Gwangju has begun revising ordinances to respond to the rapidly changing urban environment and industrial shifts. The council has established an institutional foundation to support the growth of the artificial intelligence industry while protecting workers' rights and efficiently managing streetlight banners that harm the urban landscape.
According to the Gwangsan District Council on the 25th, Park Hyunseok (Democratic Party of Korea, Songjeong 1 and 2-dong, etc.) has proposed the “Gwangsan-gu Ordinance on the Promotion of Artificial Intelligence Technology Industry and Protection of Workers' Rights,” which integrates the promotion of the AI industry and the protection of workers' rights. This is the first integrated ordinance in the country to address both industrial development and labor rights protection simultaneously.
The ordinance stipulates that the district mayor should respect the creativity of AI companies and strive to create a safe usage environment. It also requires the establishment and implementation of a basic plan every five years, and includes provisions for supporting product and service development, technology consulting, professional workforce training, and industry-academia cooperation to expand the industrial base. In particular, it includes a clause to establish ethical standards for artificial intelligence, supporting companies and users in realizing ethical technology. Park stated, “Many businesses in the AI industry are small-scale with five or fewer employees, raising significant concerns about labor rights blind spots,” adding, “Systematic protection at the local government level is necessary.”
On the same day, Kim Taewan (Democratic Party of Korea, Suwan-dong, etc.) established the basis for private consignment of streetlight banners through a partial amendment to the “Ordinance on the Management of Outdoor Advertisements and Promotion of the Outdoor Advertising Industry in Gwangsan-gu.”
Streetlight banners, often used for promoting events or performances, have frequently been left unattended after their posting period or illegally installed, threatening pedestrian safety and damaging the city’s appearance. The amendment allows the entrusted agency to be solely responsible for installing and removing banners, and strengthens safety by adding digital advertisements to the list of installations that require structural safety documentation.
Kim stated, “It is necessary to improve the advertisement management system to create a pleasant urban environment,” and added, “We hope to reduce damage caused by illegal advertisements and raise the level of local advertising culture.”
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