Official Launch of Naju Citizens Promotion Committee on November 4
Over 150 Participants Including Kim Seongeui, President of the Gwangju-Naju Alumni Association
Central Force for Attracting the "Artificial Sun" to Naju... Launching Signature Campaigns and More
On the 4th, Naju City held the launching ceremony of the "Artificial Sun Research Facility Attraction Naju Citizens Promotion Committee" in the city hall's large conference room and began a citywide citizen campaign to position Naju as a future hub for the clean energy industry. Photo by Naju City
The "Artificial Sun Research Facility Attraction Naju Citizens Promotion Committee," established to attract the so-called "artificial sun"-an infinite clean nuclear fusion energy research facility-to Naju, officially launched on November 4.
On this day, Naju City held the launching ceremony of the "Artificial Sun Research Facility Attraction Naju Citizens Promotion Committee" and began a citywide citizen campaign to position Naju as a future hub of the clean energy industry.
The ceremony included the presentation of appointment letters to the civilian co-chairs, the screening of a promotional video about the artificial sun, the reading of a resolution to attract the artificial sun research facility to Naju, and a performance to support the bid. The event was attended by over 200 people, including local community organizations, Naju natives living elsewhere, and citizens, demonstrating strong enthusiasm for the initiative.
Shin Jeonghun, Chairman of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, will serve as honorary chair of the "Artificial Sun Research Facility Attraction Naju Citizens Promotion Committee." Yoon Byungtae, Mayor of Naju, and Lee Jaenam, Chairperson of the Naju City Council, are serving as co-chairs, while the civilian co-chairs are Cho Hwanik, former CEO of Korea Electric Power Corporation, and Kim Seongeui, President of the Gwangju-Naju Alumni Association. In addition, about 150 representatives from the media, civil society organizations, and various sectors have joined as promotion committee members.
The artificial sun, regarded as the "ultimate infinite clean energy," is a next-generation energy technology that mimics the energy generation principle of the sun by artificially inducing nuclear fusion reactions between deuterium and tritium to generate high temperatures, which are then used to produce electricity.
With just 1 gram of hydrogen extracted from seawater, it is possible to produce energy equivalent to 8 tons of oil. It emits almost no carbon dioxide and poses little risk of explosion, making it a national strategic technology that can simultaneously achieve carbon neutrality, energy security, and future growth.
Naju City expects that attracting this facility will involve an investment of 1.2 trillion won and, by 2050, will bring in more than 200 related companies and create over 10,000 quality jobs, significantly boosting the local economy. The city also anticipates that the influx of professionals will help Naju emerge as a hub for advanced energy technologies.
Yoon Byungtae, Mayor of Naju, stated, "Naju is uniquely positioned for the artificial sun research facility, with a concentration of energy-related industry-academia-research infrastructure centered around the Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH) and Korea Electric Power Corporation, as well as a large and stable site and an abundant water supply network. With the united strength of our citizens, we are determined to bring the artificial sun research facility to Naju."
Going forward, Naju City and the Naju Citizens Promotion Committee plan to mobilize all administrative resources and citizen capabilities, launching a citywide signature campaign and various other initiatives to attract the artificial sun research facility to Naju.
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