Joint Statement from 18 University Presidents:
"Gwangju Is the Optimal Location"
Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung met with Jeong Cheong-rae, 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 included in the five-year national administration plan. Provided by Gwangju City
On October 23, the city of Gwangju once again urged President Lee Jaemyung to fulfill his pledge to establish the National AI Computing Center in Gwangju.
In a statement released that day, the Gwangju city government emphasized, "President Lee pledged to establish the National AI Computing Center in Gwangju even during his candidacy," adding, "This is a key national agenda item explicitly stated in the five-year national governance plan."
The city recalled that President Lee had outlined his vision on April 24 via Facebook and during a campaign speech in Gwangju on May 17, stating, "We will make Gwangju a leading AI city. We will deploy up to 50,000 GPUs, and if the current capacity is insufficient, we will expand it to meet the needs." However, the city expressed strong regret that, despite these promises, the pledge has not yet been fulfilled.
In particular, the city focused on dispelling misunderstandings by systematically refuting claims that Gwangju lacks competitiveness in the bid to attract the National AI Computing Center.
Regarding the assertion that land prices are higher than in other regions, the city argued, "Considering future value, the Gwangju High-Tech District actually has an advantage." It also clarified that there is no difference in electricity rates between Gwangju and Jeonnam, as rates are set by Korea Electric Power Corporation, and that the 1,200 tons of daily water requested by the operator amounts to only a very small portion (0.2%) of Gwangju's total intake, making sufficient supply feasible.
Additionally, the city highlighted that it had even proposed exceptional support measures, such as priority purchasing of GPU resources and subsidies for investment attraction totaling 100 billion won-conditions that other regions cannot offer. The city dismissed claims that Gwangju failed to secure the center due to a lack of effort, stating, "It is not true that Gwangju made no efforts in the bid."
The city stated, "Despite our active efforts, the current situation has arisen due to the company's change of decision," and called for "active government intervention and implementation of this national agenda."
Meanwhile, the presidents of 18 universities in the Gwangju area also issued a joint statement that day, asserting, "Gwangju is the optimal location for the AI industry, combining infrastructure, talent, and civic participation," and joined in urging President Lee to fulfill his top pledge of establishing the National AI Computing Center in Gwangju.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
