Gangwon Province Unveils Blueprint for 580 Billion Won 'Medical AX Leading Zone'... Launching the 'Medical AI Grand Transformation'

Gangwon Province Secures 70 Billion Won in Government Funding for Two Core Infrastructure Projects
Secures 1 Billion Won in Planning Budget to Develop Detailed Project Plans for Leading Zone Designation

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) has embarked on securing a new growth engine for the future by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and the medical sector.

Kim Jin-tae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, is unveiling the 'Gangwon Medical AX Advanced Industry Development Project' worth a total of 580 billion won on the 8th. Provided by Gangwon Province

On December 8, Gangwon Province announced the launch of the 'Gangwon Medical AX Advanced Industry Development Project' worth a total of 580 billion won, and revealed that two core infrastructure projects have been newly included in the government's 2026 budget, signaling a green light for the project's advancement.

The province, through close cooperation with local National Assembly members, succeeded in securing a total of 70 billion won in seed funding for new projects in the 2026 government budget, including the 'Gangwon Medical AX Industry Demonstration Hub' (2026-2030, 35 billion won) and the 'Digital Healthcare-Based AI Convergence Innovation Education Hub Project' (2026-2030, 35 billion won).

The newly funded 'Medical AX Demonstration Hub' project is centered on developing AI-based medical services to assist in cancer treatment. At the Gangwon National University Hospital AI Cancer Care Center, AI technology will be applied in areas such as clinical support, early diagnosis, and recurrence prediction, while also establishing a system for producing and immediately testing industrial cancer-specialized synthetic data.

In addition, the 'AI Convergence Innovation Education Hub' project will focus on cultivating professionals in the medical and digital sectors and strengthening global networks, thereby supporting the core foundations of the project: medical AI demonstration and talent supply.

Gangwon Province considers the designation of a 'Medical AI Leading Zone' an essential step for driving the large-scale 580 billion won project forward and is making every effort to achieve this. A comprehensive planning study for the designation of the leading zone began in November. The province plans to proceed in the following order: designation as a leading zone, exemption from preliminary feasibility studies, and connection to national government-funded projects. Once designated as a leading zone, an institutional foundation will be established, allowing 18 detailed projects to be linked as government initiatives.

Blueprint for Gangwon Medical AX Leading Zone. Provided by Gangwon Province

Furthermore, with 1 billion won in planning and budgeting funds for refining the implementation plan of the 580 billion won project included in the 2026 government budget, the second phase, which will specify strategies for each of the 18 tasks, is set to be fully launched next year.

Currently, the first phase involves formulating a strategy for the leading zone designation, followed by the second phase of detailed project planning, and the third phase of full-scale project implementation, establishing a step-by-step roadmap.

This project aligns with the new government's 'AI Grand Transformation and Hyper-Innovation Economy Leading Project' and the 'Five Poles and Three Special Ultra-Wide Area Growth Engine Strategy.' It is drawing attention as a high-value-added new growth industry model that combines the medical device industry base in the Gangwon region with AI technology.

The province boasts the nation's top-tier medical and data infrastructure, including 5 billion cases of precision medical big data, a medical device industry cluster in Wonju, and public medical data institutions, making it ideally positioned to become a 'Medical AX Advanced Industry City.'

Kim Jin-tae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, is unveiling the 'Gangwon Medical AX Advanced Industry Development Project' worth a total of 580 billion won on the 8th. Provided by Gangwon Province

Governor Kim Jin-tae stated, "The central government also plans to foster AI as a core engine for national growth. The province has chosen to focus on the medical AX sector, and two out of the 18 detailed tasks across four fields have been included in next year's budget."

He added, "We will continue to do our utmost to achieve designation as a Medical AX Leading Zone."

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