Direct Presentation at the Site Evaluation on November 21
Emphasizing Site Safety, Living Conditions, and Resident Acceptance
Kim Yungrok, Governor of Jeonnam Province, expressed strong determination and confidence in attracting the artificial sun (nuclear fusion) research facility by personally taking the stage as the presenter at the site presentation evaluation for the artificial sun research facility, held at the National Research Foundation of Korea in Daejeon on November 21.
During his presentation, Governor Kim delivered a passionate hour-long presentation under the slogan, "Artificial Sun Lighting the World: Dreamed by Jeonnam, Embraced by Naju."
He particularly emphasized, "Naju is the best in the country in every aspect, including site safety, scalability, industry-academia-research capabilities, living conditions, and resident acceptance."
The Naju candidate site proposed by Jeonnam Province is a flat and stable granite-based site with no record of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, or landslides over the past 50 years, making it an optimal location for a large-scale national research facility.
Another strength is that the site can provide more than 1 million square meters, which is over twice the 500,000 square meters required by the government, and it is easy to expand further due to the adjacent national energy industrial complex and surrounding areas.
It was also highlighted that the site has achieved 100% consent from nearby residents and secured support signatures from all 120,000 citizens of Naju, demonstrating the highest level of resident acceptance in the nation. This makes early construction and stable operation of the national large-scale research facility feasible.
Most notably, Korea Energy Engineering University, the world's only energy-specialized university, is currently establishing test facilities for superconductors, one of the eight core nuclear fusion technologies. This is expected to become a crucial foundation for future nuclear fusion demonstration and core material research.
The research and industrial ecosystem, which includes over 700 energy companies such as Korea Electric Power Corporation, is also unrivaled by any other local government.
Accessibility and living conditions are excellent as well. The site is just 7 minutes from Naju KTX Station and 30 minutes from Muan International Airport. In addition, it enjoys the outstanding medical, educational, and cultural infrastructure of Naju Innovation City and the Gwangju area.
Governor Kim stated, "The final piece for Jeonnam to become a true AI and energy capital is nuclear fusion. As the government is expanding investment in nuclear fusion starting with the 1.2 trillion won artificial sun research facility, if it is located in Naju, Jeonnam, we will actively provide administrative and financial support."
He also urged the government to keep its promise, recalling, "During the 2020 bid for the multi-purpose synchrotron radiation accelerator, the government was deeply impressed by Jeonnam's efforts and sincerity, and thus pledged to support Jeonnam for subsequent national large-scale research facilities."
Since the Ministry of Science and ICT announced the artificial sun site bid plan on October 15, Jeonnam Province formed a dedicated task force and devoted all its resources to attract the artificial sun research facility. The province submitted its bid proposal on November 13, completed the on-site inspection on November 18, and successfully finished the presentation evaluation on November 21.
Jeonnam Province plans to do its utmost until the end to ensure the artificial sun research facility is located in Naju, the energy capital of Korea, reflecting the wishes of its 2 million residents.
The final selection of the artificial sun research facility site will be announced at the end of November after evaluation by a panel organized by the National Research Foundation of Korea.
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