GS Group to hold joint public-private meeting Monday
City seeks to link investment to local economy, residents' lives
Four working subcommittees to operate; partnership agreement set for December
Donghae city is moving to develop a community benefit cooperation framework that would channel the economic impact of GS Group's planned AI data center campus into local industry growth, job creation and improved quality of life for residents.
The city will hold a kickoff meeting Monday at the main conference room of City Hall, bringing together GS Group officials, local institutions and organizations, experts and relevant city departments to identify cooperation tasks by sector and set the direction for implementation.
The meeting aims to spread the effects of the large-scale private investment accompanying the data center project across the local economy and residents' daily lives. The city intends to build a practical regional development ecosystem by linking the project to local business participation, industrial competitiveness and talent development.
"The construction of an AI data center is a critical opportunity to strengthen Donghae's industrial competitiveness and lay the groundwork for future growth," Deputy Mayor Kim Jeong-yun said. "We will identify concrete cooperation tasks so that corporate investment translates into growth for local businesses, jobs, talent development and a better quality of life for residents, and we will work with GS Group to build a sustainable mutual-benefit cooperation framework."
To that end, the city will operate four working subcommittees under a community development council — covering citizen AI transformation, industrial AI transformation, resident cooperation and residential environment improvement — along with a separate subcommittee focused on community returns linked to the Bukpyeong-dong area.
The citizen AI transformation subcommittee will examine improvements to AI-based administrative services, digital literacy among residents and talent development. The industrial AI transformation subcommittee will review support for local companies' AI adoption, measures to strengthen industrial competitiveness and ways to connect the project to existing local industries.
The resident cooperation subcommittee will identify cooperation projects that residents can directly feel in areas such as culture, tourism, sports and transportation. The residential environment improvement subcommittee will explore housing support and upgrades to everyday infrastructure. The Bukpyeong-dong community returns subcommittee will review local development projects and living environment improvements that reflect residents' needs.
Donghae city plans to conduct a comprehensive review of local demand, feasibility and sustainability to ensure the benefits extend beyond one-time support, and will continue discussions with GS Group on ways to involve local companies and workers throughout the construction and operation of the data center.
The city aims to identify a first round of cooperation tasks for each subcommittee by mid-November, then finalize implementation plans by early December following expert consultations and coordination with relevant agencies.
A final report and the signing of a mutual-benefit development agreement with GS Group are planned for December, with confirmed projects set to roll out in phases from January 2027.
abc@heraldcorp.com
