Dongyeon Kim, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, unveiled his vision on September 12 to transform Gyeonggi Buk Suwon Technovalley into a self-sufficient "15-minute city" powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
On this day, as part of his on-site tour focused on the local economy, Governor Kim hosted the "Gyeonggi Buk Suwon Technovalley Master Plan Site Briefing" at the Gyeonggi Human Resources Development Institute in Pajang-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon.
At the event, Governor Kim stated, "Last March, we announced the plan for Buk Suwon Technovalley, and today I am pleased to present the master plan to residents and announce that construction will begin in the first half of next year. I expect this area to become a major transportation hub."
He further explained, "This location will fundamentally be a transportation hub, with the Yeongdong Expressway, railways, and various roads intersecting here. On top of that, it will integrate spaces for living, working, and relaxation, forming a complex where residences, workplaces, and leisure facilities are all within a 15-minute distance."
He emphasized, "We will establish the nation's first integrated care system here, making it a model complex on a national scale. While we developed Pangyo 3 Technovalley as a space combining work, residence, and leisure, this project will take it a step further by incorporating integrated care."
He also promised, "I would even like to live here myself. While construction is scheduled to start next year and proceed as planned, I will also look for ways to accelerate the timeline internally."
The Buk Suwon Technovalley development project, led by Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Development Corporation (GH), is set to begin construction in May next year, with completion targeted for the end of 2029. The project will cover 141,000 square meters and involve a total investment of 2.8 trillion won. Currently, the planned site houses the Gyeonggi Human Resources Development Institute, Gyeonggi Research Institute, and the provincial archives. Of these, 7% will remain to preserve the functions of the Human Resources Development Institute, while the rest will be contributed in kind to GH to facilitate the project.
Gyeonggi Province plans to develop the area as "Gyeonggi Opportunity Town," where jobs, housing, and leisure are all accessible in one place. The "self-sufficient 15-minute city powered by AI" model promoted by Buk Suwon Technovalley refers to a city design that allows residents to easily access workplaces and leisure facilities within 15 minutes from home.
Gyeonggi Province Governor Dongyeon Kim is speaking at the Gyeonggi Buk Suwon Technovalley site briefing on the 12th. Photo by Gyeonggi Province
Additionally, the plan includes integrating AI technology into future-oriented transfer centers and applying the technologies developed by AI companies located in the Technovalley throughout the complex.
Gyeonggi Province has designated the master plan's development concept as "INNO-LINK CITY," a term combining "innovation" and "link," with the core development direction focused on organically connecting and integrating spaces for work, living, and relaxation to create an innovative environment.
To achieve this, the province aims to attract future industries such as IT companies based on AI, as well as semiconductor, mobility, and bio-healthcare research institutes, thereby establishing the nation's leading AI knowledge industry belt connecting Gwacheon-Indeokwon Technovalley, Buk Suwon Technovalley, Gwanggyo Technovalley, Yongin Technovalley, and Pangyo Technovalley.
The project will also provide 500 dormitory units, 1,816 housing units for sale, and 70,000 square meters of commercial, cultural, sports, leisure, and welfare spaces. Notably, for the first time in Korea, the province will introduce a Gyeonggi-style one-stop care and medical service that integrates facilities for home visits, rehabilitation therapy, short-term hospitalization, and day and night care.
A transfer platform will be established in connection with Buk Suwon Station on the Indeokwon-Dongtan Line to enhance transportation convenience, and the area will be developed as an RE100 Carbon Neutral Town, achieving carbon neutrality in daily living through zero-energy buildings and other measures.
After the site briefing, Governor Kim met with 21 students from the Departments of Semiconductor Systems Engineering and Semiconductor Convergence Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University's Natural Sciences Campus in Jangan-gu, who are future leaders in advanced industries, to listen to their concerns about career paths and employment in the semiconductor field and offer encouragement.
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