Hanam Mayoral Candidate Byeongduck Kang Vows to Make Hanam South Korea's AI Economic Capital

Choo Mi-ae, Kim Yongman Launch Policy and Legislative Drive
Hanam to Be Developed as a Global AI Connectivity Hub in Gyosan District
"Triangular Cooperation in Policy, Legislation, and Technology... Success Is Certain"

Byeongduck Kang, the Democratic Party candidate for Hanam Mayor, announced on April 28 his vision to develop the AI Innovation Cluster being built in the Hanam Gyosan District into a central hub for South Korea's AI industry.

Kang Byungduk, Democratic Party candidate for mayor of Hanam, is announcing a vision to develop the AI Innovation Cluster being established in the Hanam Gyosan District as a key hub for the AI industry in South Korea. Photo courtesy of Hanam City

Choo Mi-ae, candidate for Gyeonggi Province Governor, and National Assembly member Kim Yongman also pledged policy and legislative cooperation to help Hanam become a "Global AI Connectivity Hub."

On April 28, Kang attended the Korea-U.S.-Singapore expert roundtable, "Global Competitiveness of Vertical AI: The Role of the Hanam AI Innovation Cluster," held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building. He stated, "Hanam is not just a new city but will become the heart of South Korea’s AI economic capital and a global AI connectivity hub," adding, "I will ensure the success of the Gyosan District AI Innovation Cluster as a national core strategic project."

The roundtable was co-hosted by Choo Mi-ae and Kim Yongman, with participation from global research institutions such as POSTECH, Carnegie Mellon University, and the National University of Singapore. Discussions focused on industry-specific strategies for "vertical AI" competitiveness.

The experts agreed that the Hanam AI Innovation Cluster will serve as a "Global AI Bridge," enabling international companies to enter the Korean and Asian markets by leveraging a dense AI ecosystem integrating research, data, and capital.

The cluster is planned as a self-sustaining innovation city, concentrating core infrastructure such as an AI graduate school, global joint research center, precision medical center, and AI data center. It is expected to become a new growth engine for the southeastern metropolitan area.

Kang emphasized, "The success of the AI industry depends on speed, connectivity, and talent," and added, "Hanam City will take the lead in swiftly resolving key issues such as permits, power supply, and civil complaints, and will develop the entire city as a testbed for AI demonstration."

He also said, "AI cannot be completed by policy alone or legislation alone," adding, "We will secure global competitiveness through a 'triangular cooperation structure' in which policy (Gyeonggi Province), legislation (National Assembly), and execution (Hanam City) work organically together."

Experts at the roundtable also stressed that policy and legislative support—such as regulatory sandboxes, data openness, talent attraction, and the establishment of global cooperation networks—is essential to the cluster's success.

Kang declared, "I will make Hanam a city where AI talent gathers, companies grow, and the quality of life for citizens is enhanced," and affirmed, "Together with Choo Mi-ae and Kim Yongman, we will ensure the success of this project and move the center of South Korea’s AI competitiveness to Hanam."

He further stated, "We will implement a Net-Zero city model in Hanam that combines AI and carbon neutrality, setting a future city standard that will attract global attention," and added, "Hanam will soon become the symbol of AI innovation in South Korea."

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