Gwangju Emergency Meeting Delegation Meets with Democratic Party Leader Jeong Cheong-rae

Urging Fulfillment of Presidential Pledge:
Establishment of the National AI Computing Center

Kang Gijeong, mayor of Gwangju, met with Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, at the National Assembly main building in Seoul on the morning of the 22nd to urge the implementation of the "Establishment of the National AI Computing Center in Gwangju," a key pledge of President Lee Jae-myung and part of the five-year national administration plan. Provided by Gwangju City

As controversy continues to grow over the selection of the site for the National AI Computing Center, Kang Ki-jung, mayor of Gwangju, visited the National Assembly on the morning of the 22nd and delivered a statement urging the implementation of the "Establishment of the National AI Computing Center in Gwangju" to Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.

This action follows the resolution of the "Gwangju Future Industry Emergency Meeting" held at Gwangju City Hall the previous night. Gwangju City and representatives from various local sectors have called for the fulfillment of President Lee Jae-myung's key pledge, which is explicitly stated in the five-year national administration plan, to bring the center to Gwangju. Mayor Kang, Chae Eunji, Vice Chair of the Gwangju City Council, and three others visited the National Assembly as representatives, accompanied by Assemblyman Park Kyuntaek (Gwangsan-gap, Gwangju).

The statement was signed by more than 80 people, including Mayor Kang Ki-jung, Shin Sujeong, Chair of the Gwangju City Council, the heads of five local districts, and representatives from civic, social, religious, academic, and economic sectors. In the statement, they emphasized, "Establishing the National AI Computing Center in Gwangju is a vital public infrastructure for securing South Korea's AI competitiveness." They further warned, "If the government and businesses change direction based solely on short-term economic gains, South Korea will lose a crucial opportunity to become one of the top three global AI leaders."

To attract the center, the city has offered companies unprecedented incentives, including immediate deployment of GPUs, reduced land prices, promotion of special legislation for electricity rates, and support measures worth up to 100 billion won. Nevertheless, when a company abruptly changed its stance and applied to a different region, criticism arose within the local community, arguing that "a national strategic project should not be swayed by corporate interests."

They stressed that "speed and concentration are essential in the AI industry," and asserted, "Gwangju, where infrastructure such as the National AI Data Center, companies, and talent are already concentrated, is the optimal location for the computing center." They also made it clear that this pledge is not simply a regional development project, but a national future industry strategy, and thus the government must take direct responsibility for its implementation.

In particular, the city contributed to the birth of the new government through a high voter turnout in the last presidential election and demonstrated its desire to host the National AI Computing Center in Gwangju through a citywide petition signed by 170,829 people. They emphasized, "Fulfilling President Lee Jae-myung's pledge is a key indicator of whether the Democratic Party of Korea will keep its promises," and added, "The National AI Computing Center is a public infrastructure that allows startups, research institutes, and universities to access high-performance computing resources at low cost. Gwangju's central role in this project means realizing 'AI for all,' benefiting every citizen."

After meeting with Jeong Cheong-rae, Mayor Kang discussed joint response measures with local National Assembly members, stating, "Gwangju's AI dream cannot be stopped. The AI industry that Gwangju pursues is not for specific companies, but for the public good, for all citizens."

Meanwhile, the Gwangju community plans to continue its citywide response to ensure that "Gwangju, the AI-centered city," becomes a key pillar in strengthening national competitiveness.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.