Hanam City holds investment forum targeting W10tr by 2030

Hanam City held its 2026 investment forum at KINTEX Exhibition Hall 1, Room 204, on Thursday, setting its sights on attracting 10 trillion won ($7.46 billion) in investment by 2030. Held in conjunction with the 2026 Robo World expo, the event drew about 120 participants from businesses and related organizations under the theme "Hanam: A city in the AI era that answers every condition businesses seek."

As the supply of self-sufficient land in Gyosan New Town becomes more concrete, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Hanam Misa K-Culture and Hanam Gamil 2 as candidate sites for new public housing districts as a follow-up to its Aug. 13 measures. Hanam City plans to use the expansion opportunities — including housing supply and the development of a K-Culture complex — as a springboard toward becoming a self-sufficient city where businesses and jobs grow alongside residents.

Ceremony kept short, investment briefings kept deep — an event redesigned around business

The forum minimized formalities and focused on delivering investment information that businesses actually need. After the opening and remarks by Deputy Mayor Gong Jeong-sik, the city screened a video investor relations presentation covering Hanam's location and future vision, followed by a business manager who walked attendees through support programs and real-world cases. The program led with what companies want to know — industrial competitiveness, available sites and timing — rather than ceremonial introductions, reflecting the city's practical approach to attracting investment. The added significance lay in placing the answers businesses want to hear at center stage, rather than authoritative formality.

Deputy Mayor Gong said, "Hanam is moving beyond being a desirable place to live — leveraging its position bordering Seoul to become a city where businesses invest and residents work close to home." He highlighted the Gyosan self-sufficient land, the K-Culture complex, Camp Colburn, and the H2 site in Changwu-dong as the city's four core growth axes.

Connectivity, talent, livability, land — four conditions for business location

The video investor relations presentation framed Hanam's business location strengths around four pillars: connectivity, talent, quality of life and available land. The city sits adjacent to Seoul's major business districts and is served by subway Line 5, with extensions of Lines 9 and 3, the GTX and the Wirye-Sinsa line extension all in progress, alongside the Olympic Expressway and the Seoul Metropolitan Ring Expressway. The presentation cited 15-minute access to Jamsil and 20 minutes to Gangnam; Line 9 is targeted for extension by 2031 and Line 3 by 2032. The city also highlighted its youth profile — an average age of 42 and a working-age population share of 69.4 percent — and projected growth to 600,000 residents as Gyosan, Misa and Gamil neighborhoods add new move-ins. Natural assets including the Han River waterfront, Misa Lake Park and Geomdan Mountain were noted alongside shopping and cultural facilities such as Starfield Hanam and educational infrastructure including a children's English library. The city also cited four consecutive years ranked No. 1 nationwide in civil service evaluations and two consecutive Presidential Awards.

From Gyosan AI to Misa K-Culture — five key investment zones unveiled

Hanam City presented five major investment zones: the Gyosan New Town self-sufficient land, an AI innovation cluster, a K-Culture complex, Camp Colburn and the H2 site. The 10 self-sufficient blocks in Gyosan New Town are designed to meet demand from AI advanced industries and smart factory manufacturers. Block 5 is slated for a 3 trillion won AI innovation cluster developed jointly with Gyeonggi Province, while Block 7 is being pursued as a designation for an urban advanced industrial complex with research and development and manufacturing functions.

The AI innovation cluster, targeted for completion in 2030, will link research, talent development and data infrastructure with industry. Postech, Carnegie Mellon University, the National University of Singapore, and KT Corp's cloud and investment management units were named as participating institutions in the research and infrastructure fields.

The Misa K-Culture complex gained momentum after the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Hanam Misa K-Culture as a candidate site for a new public housing district on Oct. 29. The ministry outlined plans for about 12,000 housing units, a park utilizing Misa Gyeongjeong Park and the Han River waterfront, and the development of a K-Culture complex.

Hanam City envisions a K-pop concert venue seating 20,000 to 30,000, a film studio and an academy at the site. The city plans to work with the central government on regulatory improvements related to development-restricted zones and water quality management consultations to build the site into a nature and culture hub combining performance, content, tourism and advanced technology.

Camp Colburn in Hasangok-dong is a mixed-use commercial, office and cultural development project covering about 250,000 square meters. The city signed a purchase agreement with South Korea's Ministry of National Defense in 2022 and selected a preferred negotiating partner this year. The H2 site in Changwu-dong covers about 160,000 square meters and sits adjacent to Starfield Hanam and the Han River. To help businesses plan their relocations, Hanam City laid out a site availability schedule: Gyosan self-sufficient Blocks 5 and 7 in 2028, and Gyosan Blocks 1 through 3 and the H2 site in 2029.

Business managers prove 'one-stop investment administration' with real cases

Hanam City operates a one-stop service in which business managers handle everything from identifying and consulting with companies through investment execution and post-settlement support, with dedicated project managers and relevant departments collaborating on specific issues. At the forum, Park Seung-seok, head of the city's 10 Trillion Won Investment Attraction Team, presented business support cases directly. The examples included close support for Igloo Corporation's headquarters and research center relocation, a shortened permitting timeline for Sungwon Adpia through inter-departmental coordination, and advance guidance and one-stop permitting for Yonsei Hanam Hospital — demonstrating the practical effectiveness of the city's administrative support.

Annual forums planned to guide investors on timing and conditions

Hanam City plans to hold the investment forum annually, providing updates on site availability schedules and conditions for each development project and sharing changes in key issues promptly. The city said it will use the series to translate its goals of 10 trillion won in investment and 50,000 jobs by 2030 into concrete results.

Mayor Lee Hyun-jae said the forum was designed to open a new era of 10 trillion won in investment starting in 2026. "As projects become more tangible year by year, we will continue active outreach so that Hanam can grow into a self-sufficient city where housing and employment are in balance," Lee said.