The South Korean government is making strategic investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure in the Honam region to establish a new industrial hub beyond Seoul. This initiative merges data centers with advanced manufacturing tailored to local needs, as highlighted by Lee Min-woo from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, who emphasizes the importance of regional development for enhancing national industrial competitiveness.
Key Areas of Investment
1. Data Centers and Computing Capacity
- The strategy focuses on semiconductors, AI, and associated computing infrastructure.
- Major investments include SK’s 70 trillion won for a 1-gigawatt data center and Samsung SDS’s 17 trillion won for a 210-megawatt facility.
2. Equipment and Growth Industries
- The goal is to create data centers for local AI model training and support an AI business ecosystem.
- This development aims to stimulate demand for power supplies, cooling systems, and to foster adjacent industries.
- Growth areas identified for Honam include future energy systems, advanced semiconductor manufacturing, AI, autonomous driving, next-generation vaccines, and precision medicine.
3. Regional Development as a Test
- Lee Min-woo views the development of South Jeolla Province and Gwangju as a crucial test of Korea’s capability to uplift its economy from low growth and strengthen its position amid the AI transformation.
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