North Gyeongsang Province marks 400th session of early-morning lecture series

North Gyeongsang Province's early-morning study program, known as the "Hwagong Good Morning Lecture Series," reached its 400th session Tuesday, eight years after launching in November 2018.

The province held a commemorative event at its provincial office Tuesday, drawing about 200 attendees including North Gyeongsang Governor Lee Cheol-woo, former Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yun-cheol, People Power Party Special Committee Chair Lee Jeong-hyeon for Gwangju and South Jeolla Province's future industry strategy, past lecturers, heads of public institutions and provincial staff.

The lecture series was launched on the premise that change must begin with the public sector. Every Tuesday morning, experts from fields including industry, science and technology, demographics, education, culture, tourism, economics and international affairs are invited to examine key policy issues.

Sessions 301 through 400 focused on North Gyeongsang Province's future challenges, covering topics such as demographic shifts, the Gyeongju APEC Summit, the AI transformation and regional industry innovation.

The province is also pursuing related policies, including AI and digital transformation, development of the future food industry, and the creation of a birth- and child-rearing-friendly environment.

At the commemorative lecture, former Deputy Prime Minister Koo delivered a talk titled "The Path for North Gyeongsang Province in the AI Era," outlining strategies to foster new AI industries by leveraging the province's energy and industrial infrastructure, as well as ways to expand AI use in public administration and agriculture.

"The Hwagong lectures have been a forum where we study North Gyeongsang Province's many challenges together and search for solutions," Governor Lee said. "We will keep learning and pushing forward so that we can lead the era of the fifth industrial revolution by connecting the region's strengths — in AI, robotics, biotech, food and tourism — to new possibilities."

Meanwhile, the province published the fourth volume of the Hwagong Good Morning Lecture Series collection, covering sessions 301 through 400, which compiles the key issues discussed and policy recommendations offered by experts over the past 100 sessions. The province said it plans to continue its commitment to learning and putting knowledge into practice.