KAIST professor calls for rebranding Saemangeum as 'AI Bay' to attract industry to North Jeolla Province

Kim Jung-ho, a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at KAIST, said North Jeolla Province must first create the right conditions for businesses before it can attract top-tier industries. He called on the provincial government to build key infrastructure including KTX rail links, international schools and housing, while focusing on nurturing local materials, parts and equipment companies and developing skilled talent.

Kim said the KTX travel time between Seoul and Jeonju and Iksan must be cut to under one hour, and proposed renaming Saemangeum "AI Bay" to establish North Jeolla Province's image as a desirable place to work and a hub for physical AI.

Kim made the remarks Wednesday at the "Grand Forum on Making North Jeolla Province a Global Leader in Physical AI and Robotics," held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul. "Whether it is physical AI or AI agents, the memory chip requirements — the core capability — are only growing," he said. "We need to get SK hynix and Samsung Electronics to build factories in North Jeolla Province."

Kim added that local materials, parts and equipment firms must be developed first, citing Hansol Chemical and Dongwoo Fine-Chem, both based in Iksan.

"North Jeolla Province already has materials companies, so we are not starting from scratch," Kim said. "For the talent development that goes along with that, KAIST and Jeonbuk National University need to join forces."

Kim also said North Jeolla Province must secure electricity and water supplies and offer affordable sites to attract quality companies.

Kim called for expanding transportation infrastructure as well, saying the drive from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix to North Jeolla Province must be brought to within one hour.

Earlier, Hyundai Motor Group announced plans to invest 9 trillion won ($6.71 billion) in Saemangeum to build a hub for robotics, AI and hydrogen energy. Against that backdrop, Kim proposed renaming Saemangeum "AI Bay."

"When people hear Saemangeum, they think of a wasteland — it has a desolate feel," Kim said. "That is why I am proposing a name change."

Kim also suggested renaming Jeonju and Iksan, which have train stations, as "AI City," to build the perception of North Jeolla Province as a good place to work. "We need to turn North Jeolla Province — with Jeonbuk National University and its materials, parts and equipment companies — into one integrated belt, so that industry cannot bypass this region," he said.

Meanwhile, ahead of the forum, North Jeolla Province Governor Lee Won-taek and Democratic Party of Korea North Jeolla Province chapter chairman Yun Jun-byeong read out a petition calling for 1.3 trillion won ($969 million) in national budget allocations to develop North Jeolla Province into a physical AI hub city.