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Rep. Jung Jin-uk of the Democratic Party speaks during a session of the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts on November 7, calling for the government’s “AI City” project to be centered in Gwangju. / Source: Yonhap News

Rep. Jung Jin-uk of the Democratic Party argued that the Lee Jae-myung administration’s flagship “AI City” initiative — a pilot project to build an artificial intelligence–specialized smart city — should be launched in Gwangju. He highlighted that Gwangju already possesses core AI infrastructure and an established ecosystem, urging the government to provide active support.

During a comprehensive policy inquiry at the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts on November 7, Jung told Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, “I understand that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is pursuing the creation of an ‘AI City’ as a national agenda to lead the global AI market and improve citizens’ quality of life.” He added, “Gwangju, which already has a strong AI base and ongoing large-scale pilot projects, is the ideal site to demonstrate whether a city can be fully operated by AI.”

The government has earmarked 4 billion won in next year’s budget for site selection and planning of the AI City pilot project. Jung noted that the “Gwangju AI Mobility National New Town,” a key component of the AI City vision, already has momentum. The 1.5 trillion won project aims to establish a futuristic city equipped with autonomous driving networks and an AI-based integrated urban management system. A total of 2 billion won — half from the central government and half from the city — has been allocated for its preliminary planning study.

Jung also conveyed local concerns over the recent decision by a private consortium to select South Jeolla Province as the final candidate for a national AI computing center. “Despite their disappointment, Gwangju citizens have not lost faith in the government and are closely watching for follow-up measures,” he said.

As a solution, Jung urged the government to establish two major facilities in Gwangju:

• a National NPU (Neural Processing Unit) Computing Center (total investment: 1 trillion won) to strengthen domestic NPU competitiveness, and

• a National AI Research Institute (total investment: 600 billion won).

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok responded, “I’m well aware of Gwangju’s involvement, as I was engaged from the early stages of its interest in becoming an AI-focused city.”