Jang Jongtae Vows to Develop Daejeon and Chungnam into an AI Economic City

Announcement of 10 Key Visions at Chungnam Provincial Government
"Integration Is Not a Choice, but a Survival Strategy"

Jang Jongtae, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea

Jang Jongtae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Daejeon Seo-gu Gap), who is running for the inaugural mayor of the Daejeon-Chungnam Integrated Special City, presented his vision for ultra-wide area development under the banner of "AI Transformation (AX)" on January 12, 2026.

He also declared, "Integration is not an administrative experiment but a national strategy to reshape Korea's economic landscape," pledging to develop Daejeon and Chungnam into a global AI economic hub.

On this day, Assemblyman Jang held a press conference in the briefing room of the Chungnam Provincial Government and announced the "Top 10 Visions for a Global AI Economic Special City," unveiling the blueprint for the Daejeon-Chungnam Integrated Special City.

By choosing Chungnam as the location for his first policy announcement since declaring his candidacy for integrated mayor, Assemblyman Jang sent a political message that the center of gravity for integration should be a "shared vision for Daejeon and Chungnam," rather than focusing solely on Daejeon.

Assemblyman Jang explained, "Chungnam is a region with a larger area than Daejeon and possesses strategic assets in industry, logistics, and energy. I chose this location for my first announcement because Chungnam will be the real growth engine for integration."

Regarding concerns that the integration discussions are premature, he stated, "The special integration law contains provisions that conflict with the current legal system, and there has not been sufficient collection of residents' opinions. However, there are hardly any voices opposed to integration itself. The real issue is not whether to integrate, but how to achieve it."

He emphasized, "Although three months is a short time, we must promote integration while broadening the understanding of city and provincial residents."

Assemblyman Jang stated, "By incorporating AI into all areas-including industry, administration, healthcare, education, transportation, and national defense-I will transform Daejeon and Chungnam into Korea's ultra-wide area economic platform."

His 10 visions for achieving this include: ▲ Building an ultra-wide area AX industrial expressway ▲ Establishing smart industrial complexes in Seosan and Dangjin ▲ Creating a Gyeryong-Nonsan Defense and Space AX Cluster ▲ Completing the Seosan-Yeongdeok Expressway ▲ Including the central region east-west cross-country railway in the national plan ▲ Introducing an AI citizen assistant ▲ Establishing an AI remote medical system ▲ Providing customized AI education ▲ Creating a special account for development in the western region, among others.

This strategy goes beyond simple administrative integration, aiming to connect Chungnam's industrial base with Daejeon's research and scientific capabilities into a single AI ecosystem on an ultra-wide area scale.

In particular, the plan to link Chungnam's industrial zones in defense, space, manufacturing, bio, and logistics with Daejeon's science and technology infrastructure to create a "Korea AI Economic Belt" is seen as a more advanced vision than previous integration discussions.

Assemblyman Jang said, "This vision not only explains the rationale for integration but also specifically outlines how integration will change the lives of citizens. I will open the path for Daejeon and Chungnam to become Korea's new growth engine together."

Meanwhile, Jang Jongtae began his public service career as a grade 9 civil servant, served as the head of Seo-gu District in Daejeon for the 7th and 8th popular elections, and was elected as a member of the 22nd National Assembly, demonstrating a career that spans both administration and politics. His bid for integrated mayor is expected to serve as a test of "ultra-wide area leadership" that combines experience in local administration and central politics.