Goyang Vows to Win Bid to Host Global AI Hub Backed by International Organizations

GOYANG — The city of Goyang in Gyeonggi Province formally launched its bid to host a UN Global AI Hub, holding a declaration ceremony at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the morning of the 25th.

The ceremony was attended by Goyang Mayor Min Kyung-sun, National Assembly members Han Jun-ho, Kim Young-hwan and Lee Ki-heon, and Goyang City Council Chair Kim Mi-su. Also present were Gyeonggi Provincial Council members Kim Woon-nam, Choi Kyu-jin and Jung Yeon-il, Korea Aerospace University President Heo Hee-young, Myongji Hospital Chairman Lee Wang-jun, National Cancer Center President Yang Han-kwang, and citizen representatives. Lawmaker Kim Sung-hoi, who could not attend due to an overseas trip, voiced his full support for the bid in a video message.

The event proceeded with introductions and opening remarks, followed by a presentation on the bid strategy, a briefing on the National Assembly response plan, a question-and-answer session, and a joint reading and signing of the declaration. The attending lawmakers and Mayor Min signed the declaration together, publicly affirming the shared commitment of the National Assembly and the city to the bid.

Kim Soo-oh, head of Goyang's Urban and Housing Policy Office, laid out four strengths in his presentation. They included international conference facilities such as KINTEX, the country's largest exhibition and convention center; regional transit links including access to Incheon International Airport, the GTX-A express rail line and the Daegok station area; a growing AI and data center base centered on the Ilsan Techno Valley; and bio-medical and educational infrastructure.

Kim stressed that a hub involving multiple international organizations and multilateral development banks requires a city equipped with international conference venues, workspaces and living conditions all at once. He also described the city's capacity as a "global AI testbed city" where AI technology can be applied and verified in practice.

A UN Global AI Hub is an international cooperation platform for using artificial intelligence safely and fairly. Its main functions include setting usage rules such as AI ethics and international standards, providing AI education and training of specialists and joint research, supporting solutions to global challenges such as health care, education, the environment, climate and disasters, and conducting research on AI law, institutions and public AI policy.

The government formalized the initiative through the Office of the Prime Minister and held a "Global AI Hub" vision declaration ceremony in Seoul in May. At the event, it released a joint statement joined by nine international organizations and five multilateral development banks (MDBs).

Efforts are also under way to link the hub with an AI-focused center that the multilateral development banks plan to establish in Korea, meaning the host city is expected to serve as the base for a cooperation network involving 14 international organizations and international financial institutions.

Mayor Min said hosting the UN Global AI Hub "will be a stepping stone for Goyang to leap forward as a hub for the advanced AI industry, and an opportunity for South Korea to stand at the center of discussions on international AI norms." Min added, "The National Assembly, the government and citizens will come together as one team, and we will make this bid succeed no matter what."

Goyang plans to hold the inaugural meeting of a citywide promotion committee on Sept. 7 and to host an expert forum on strategies for attracting international organizations during September. The city also plans to broaden its base of support for the bid to include civil society, experts and international organizations.