Gwangju and South Jeolla to Emerge as South Korea's 'AI Hub'

"Welcoming the Establishment of the OpenAI Data Center in South Jeolla Province"
"Launching a 'Two-Track' Strategy for National and Private AI Infrastructure"
Gwangju City Issues Official Statement on October 2

Gwangju City Hall exterior view.

Gwangju City and South Jeolla Province are preparing to become key hubs for South Korea's artificial intelligence (AI) industry.

On October 2, Gwangju City released an official statement through its spokesperson, saying, "We welcome the establishment of a private AI data center dedicated to OpenAI in South Jeolla Province." The city added, "This is an opportunity to broaden the foundation of South Korea's AI industry and will be an important step forward for the development of the nation's AI ecosystem."

The city emphasized that the upcoming government-led "National AI Computing Center" and the "private AI infrastructure" in South Jeolla Province will create strong synergy, launching a "two-track" strategy to position South Korea as a global leader in AI. Both regions plan to play a pivotal role in driving innovation in the AI industry and securing the country's future competitiveness through this collaboration.

In particular, Gwangju City stressed that the "National AI Computing Center" will not be monopolized by any single company, but will serve as a core public infrastructure where domestic AI startups, universities, and research institutes can freely develop and test their technologies. This is expected to promote extensive AI research and development and lay the groundwork for nurturing talent in related fields.

The city announced its intention to complete the three major national AI infrastructures by integrating the existing "National AI Data Center," the upcoming large-scale "National AI Computing Center," and the "National AI Research Institute," which will serve as the brain of South Korea's AI industry.

Meanwhile, the city also declared, "Gwangju will usher in the era of South Korea as one of the world's top three AI powerhouses," and called for continued attention and support from the central government and the National Assembly.