“(ABC Broadcasting's question: Mayor, Gwangju has AI, and Jeonnam has energy. Can the combination of AI and energy make it the center of South Korea's industrial map?)
South Korea's industrialization has centered around the Gyeongbu axis, with Seoul and the metropolitan area leading in finance and information technology, while Ulsan, Pohang, and Changwon became manufacturing hubs. In contrast, Gwangju and Jeonnam have often remained on the periphery of national development strategies. Although Gwangju has been a symbol of democracy, it has not been a key player in industrialization.
However, the AI era is creating new opportunities. As data becomes the new oil and electricity gains importance comparable to semiconductors, the value of Gwangju and Jeonnam's assets is changing. Gwangju is already the only city in South Korea with a national AI data center, while Jeonnam is the country's largest renewable energy production base.
Min Hyung-bae, the newly elected mayor of Gwangju and Jeonnam, has proposed a vision to combine these two assets, aiming to transform the region into South Korea's AI semiconductor capital and an energy megacity. He has particularly promised to attract a global semiconductor factory worth 10 trillion won within his first year in office, signaling a bold move for the transformation of Gwangju and Jeonnam.
The question now is whether Gwangju and Jeonnam can rise from the periphery to become the center of South Korea's AI industry.
AI is in Gwangju, and energy is in Jeonnam
Gwangju has already become a symbolic city for South Korea's AI industry. A national AI data center has been established, and an AI cluster is being developed. While many local governments across the country talk about becoming AI cities, Gwangju is the only place with actual national-level AI infrastructure. Over the past few years, Gwangju has been working to build an AI industry ecosystem, becoming a testing ground for the country's AI policies.
However, AI alone is not enough.
AI consumes vast amounts of electricity. Generative AI, data centers, and the AI semiconductor industry all rely heavily on power. Thus, the world is currently engaged in a competition for electricity rather than just AI. The United States is expanding its nuclear power plants, while Middle Eastern countries are investing astronomical sums in solar power.
Jeonnam holds new value at this juncture.
Jeonnam possesses the largest offshore wind potential in the country and ranks among the best in solar power generation. With the addition of the hydrogen industry, it could become South Korea's largest energy production base. In the past, energy was merely a supplementary means for industry, but in the AI era, energy itself is becoming a competitive advantage.
This is why Mayor Min emphasizes the combination of AI and energy. He aims to connect Gwangju's AI data center with Jeonnam's renewable energy base to create a new industrial map. AI is in Gwangju, and energy is in Jeonnam. The remaining task is to link the two.
Is a 10 trillion won semiconductor factory feasible?
Among Mayor Min's promises, the most eye-catching is the plan to attract a global semiconductor factory worth 10 trillion won. Many people question the feasibility of this pledge. Attracting a semiconductor factory requires massive investment and national support. Even Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix take years to decide on factory locations.
Nevertheless, Mayor Min's focus on semiconductors is clear. The core of the AI era is ultimately AI semiconductors.
ChatGPT cannot exist without AI semiconductors. Autonomous vehicles, robotics, and defense AI all require AI semiconductors. Recently, the government announced plans to invest 50 trillion won in the AI and semiconductor sectors over the next five years for the same reason.
Mayor Min is not merely aiming to attract a single factory. He envisions creating an AI semiconductor ecosystem by linking Gwangju's AI data center and advanced packaging industry with Jeonnam's RE100 industrial complex. The establishment of a national advanced packaging demonstration center in Gwangju's High-Tech National Industrial Complex is part of this strategy. He proposes an 'AI semiconductor triangle' that connects Gwangju as a packaging hub and Jeonnam as a production base.
The key point is that attracting a factory is not the end goal.
When the semiconductor industry arrives, research and development will follow, and with R&D comes talent. As talent accumulates, businesses will grow. Ultimately, semiconductors are not just an industry; they are a platform that can transform the future of a city.
The true significance of the integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam lies in economic integration.
Many people perceive the integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam as merely an administrative reorganization. However, Mayor Min's vision of integration carries much greater significance.
Gwangju excels in AI. Naju is strong in energy. Yeosu is a leader in petrochemicals. Gwangyang is robust in steel and logistics. Mokpo is the center of the marine industry.
Until now, these industries have operated separately. However, in the AI era, connectivity becomes a competitive advantage. AI connects with manufacturing, energy, and logistics. Ultimately, a city's competitiveness is determined not by a single industry but by how well it can connect industries.
The special city of Gwangju and Jeonnam that Mayor Min envisions is not just a simple administrative integration. It is a super-regional economic zone where AI and energy, steel and logistics, marine industries and semiconductors converge. In this sense, the special city of Gwangju and Jeonnam is closer to a South Korean version of Texas than Silicon Valley, with energy resources, advanced industries, ample land, and growth potential.
The challenge is speed.
The AI revolution does not wait. There is a high likelihood that the AI industrial map will be completed within the next five years. If this opportunity is missed, Gwangju and Jeonnam could lose another chance.
The success of Mayor Min's administration will ultimately be determined here. Has Gwangju become a city where AI companies flock, rather than just a city that talks about AI? Has the region transformed from merely producing energy to connecting energy with industry? These are the questions Mayor Min will need to answer over the next four years.
:Who is Min Hyung-bae:
Min Hyung-bae has served as the mayor of Gwangju's Gwangsan District and as a member of the National Assembly. With extensive experience in local administration and legislative activities, he has focused on regional balanced development and citizen participation in politics. He has consistently advocated for Gwangju-style jobs and the promotion of local industries, recently presenting AI and advanced manufacturing as new growth engines for Gwangju and Jeonnam.
In this election, he emphasized economic integration over mere administrative consolidation. He argued that Gwangju and Jeonnam should be unified as a single living and industrial zone, promising to transform the industrial structure of Gwangju and Jeonnam through AI semiconductors and renewable energy industries. He also highlighted the importance of close cooperation with the Lee Jae-myung government, pledging to deliver visible results within 100 days of the launch of the integrated special city.
For Mayor Min, the next four years are not just about running a local government. It is a historical experiment to prove whether Gwangju and Jeonnam can emerge as a new axis of South Korea's AI industry.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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