Rep. Lee Gwang-jae of the Democratic Party of Korea (Hanam-gap, Gyeonggi Province; chairman of the National Assembly's Budget and Accounts Special Committee) held a budget meeting with elected officials from Hanam at the National Assembly on Wednesday, presenting a vision for the city's future growth. The plan includes upgrading an AI cluster and attracting AI-based medical projects, developing large-scale sports facilities on idle land, and promoting the survey and development of national properties.
The meeting was attended by Rep. Kim Yong-man of the Democratic Party (Hanam-eul, Gyeonggi Province), Hanam Mayor Lee Hyeon-jae, and members of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly and Hanam City Council, who discussed proposals for national and provincial funding for next year as well as pending issues in four new towns including Gyosan.
Lee named AI as Hanam's top priority for future growth, saying, "A single data center is not enough for an AI cluster. It has to become a live-work city where companies, university research labs and residential areas coexist — only then can other AI-related activities take root."
He also said he is personally working to attract AI-based medical projects to Hanam, including development of the H2 site, and outlined a plan to concentrate AI-related businesses in the city to establish it as a genuine AI hub. Mayor Lee added his support, saying, "Jobs are created locally and a real cluster forms only when a company's headquarters moves in."
Lee put forward sports as the second pillar of his vision, saying that developing idle, neglected land into large-scale sports facilities would allow Hanam to host multiple national competitions from spring through autumn. "Attracting major sporting events would go a long way toward finding new sources of growth for Hanam," he said. He also asked the city to conduct a demand survey for sports facilities while he pursues consultations with relevant agencies.
Rep. Kim Yong-man, speaking on the expansion of sports facilities, said the needs of users vary widely and that planning must be sensitive to demand.
Lee said he would push for legislation enabling land swaps between local governments and the national government as a strategy to secure sites for Hanam's future projects. The idea is to exchange municipal land for national land in order to obtain more usable plots. "You need land before you can do anything," he said, noting the plan draws on his experience as governor of Gangwon Province. He also proposed that Hanam City conduct a survey on shifting administrative needs in anticipation of changes following the establishment of a new Hanam education support office.
Lee also proposed a collaborative framework, urging participants to "push flagship projects forward with momentum," and said he would personally oversee consultations with the central government and the Korea Land and Housing Corp. on pending issues in the four new towns, including Gyosan. Participants agreed to hold regular meetings to share updates on budget-securing progress.
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