On the day Wonju elects its new mayor, a semiconductor training program holds its inaugural ceremony

On Thursday, the same day Wonju residents elected Democratic Party candidate Koo Ja-yeol as their new mayor on a platform centered on five pledges including "Advanced Wonju," Korea Polytechnic University's Wonju campus and semiconductor materials and components maker DS Techno held an enrollment ceremony for a new job-linked semiconductor training course designed to create quality local employment.

The ceremony took place at 10 a.m. at the university's industry-academia cooperation building. Attendees included Lee Byeong-cheol, head of Wonju city's economic affairs bureau; Kwon Min-su, dean of the Wonju campus; Kim Hyeon-su, vice president of DS Techno; and 20 incoming students.

Mayor-elect Koo has placed strong emphasis on a technology-driven local economy, with campaign pledges covering semiconductor industry development, the creation of a medical AI industrial complex, and the establishment of a medical AI special zone along the corridor from Wonju Station to Heungup-myeon. He is expected to lend his support to technology innovation and workforce development initiatives involving the Wonju polytechnic campus and DS Techno.

Koo, who also pledged to introduce the country's first city-level cultural rights framework and build a youth job-matching platform, said he was "sincerely grateful for the choice of citizens who longed for a 'truly Wonju era,'" adding that "the citizens' choice has marked the beginning of a new Wonju."

He said he would pursue without delay what he called the "T5 Vision" — a Wonju where citizens' voices are at the center of city governance, alongside the goals of Advanced Wonju, Vibrant Wonju, Attractive Wonju, Safe Wonju and Half-Price Wonju.

Meanwhile, DS Techno is a semiconductor materials and components company headquartered in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. It is the only domestic manufacturer to produce all three types of components — silicon carbide (SiC), silicon (Si) and quartz — and supplies Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Intel, among others. Its Munmak factory, which began operation in February, focuses primarily on silicon components.

A Wonju city official said the training course would be offered entirely free of charge and was expected to help build a virtuous cycle — stemming the outflow of young residents while drawing in youth from other regions to invigorate the local economy. "We will continue working to connect companies with the talent they need, at the right time," the official said.