Kang Gijeong: "AI Industry Needs Speed and Concentration to Seize Opportunities"

Speed is Key in AI Infrastructure Development; Calls for Super Supplementary Budget
Establishing AI Computing Center in Gwangju to Maximize Synergy

Kang Kijeong, mayor of Gwangju, attended the "2024 Provincial Governors Policy Conference" held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul on September 10 last year, presenting a vision for Gwangju's representative industry, artificial intelligence (AI). Provided by Gwangju City

Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijung stated on the 5th, "The AI (Artificial Intelligence) industry is a race against time, and only by securing speed and concentration will opportunities come to Korea," adding, "A National AI Computing Center should be established in Gwangju, which already has experience operating the National AI Data Center."

In a post on Facebook that day, Mayor Kang said, "AI evolves by the second. Just look at DeepSeek, which emerged only two years after ChatGPT," and pointed out, "Gwangju, home to the only 'National AI Data Center' in the country, is ready to compete for AI leadership with 'AI verification' and 'hyper-scale AI,' but progress has stalled due to martial law."

He continued, "What is needed now is speed and concentration," and urged, "The government should immediately organize a super supplementary budget to quickly proceed with Gwangju's AX Verification (AI Phase 2) project."

He also explained, "For hyper-scale AI, a large-scale national data center with over 100,000 GPUs is necessary," adding, "Gwangju, which holds half of the country's 'H100' GPUs, has experience operating the National AI Data Center, and possesses a robust AI talent development pipeline, is the optimal location for the National AI Computing Center."

Cheomdan 3 District, where the National AI Data Center is located, is adjacent to Jeonnam, the largest renewable energy production area in the country, making it possible not only to secure stable energy resources but also to build a sustainable AI ecosystem using eco-friendly energy.

In particular, Gwangju is the only city in the country with the experience and know-how of operating the National AI Data Center, holds half of the domestic GPU (H100) resources, and has a robust AI talent development pipeline, making it the optimal site for the establishment of the 'National AI Computing Center.'

Mayor Kang said, "It is necessary for the government to provide full support so that companies can utilize the latest infrastructure such as computing resources (GPU) and large-scale driving simulators built through the AI Phase 1 project for research and development," expressing regret that "the AI Phase 2 (AX Verification Valley) project has been suspended due to the December 3 martial law incident."

Meanwhile, Mayor Kang emphasized, "The creation of the AX Verification Valley is an essential project to support AI companies and researchers nationwide in utilizing the core infrastructure established in Phase 1 and is indispensable for national AX verification," stressing, "It should be promptly pursued through exemption from the preliminary feasibility study."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.