300 Goyang Citizens Unite... Pan-Citizen Campaign to Attract 'UN Global AI Hub' Begins

Goyang Launches Pan-Citizen Promotion Committee
100,000-Citizen Signature Campaign Ahead of Government Bidding
Expert Forum in September to Solidify Rationale for Hosting
Mayor Min Kyung-sun: "We Will Succeed as One Team with Our Citizens"

Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Min Kyung-sun) has officially entered the citizen-led competition to invite the 'UN Global AI Hub'.

Minkyung Sun, Mayor of Goyang City, delivers a greeting at the launch ceremony of the "UN Global AI Hub Attraction Goyang Citizen Promotion Committee" held at Goyang Flower Exhibition Hall in Ilsan Lake Park on the 7th. Provided by Goyang City

On September 7, Goyang City announced that it held the launching ceremony of the 'UN Global AI Hub Attraction Goyang Pan-Citizen Promotion Committee' at the Goyang Flower Exhibition Hall in Ilsan Lake Park and kicked off a signature campaign aiming for 100,000 signatures from citizens.

The Pan-Citizen Promotion Committee is a voluntary organization formed by citizens who recognize the necessity of attracting an international organization. From the preparation to the hosting of the ceremony, citizens directly took part in the process.

About 300 people attended the event, including Min Kyung-sun, Mayor of Goyang, Kim Misoo, Chairperson of the Goyang City Council, members of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council and Goyang City Council, heads of local institutions, and citizens.

During the first part of the event, Ahn Jiho, a research fellow at the Goyang Research Institute, gave a presentation on the topic, 'The Necessity of Attracting the UN Global AI Hub to Goyang City.' Mayor Min, Chairperson Kim, and other city and provincial council members participated in the signature campaign demonstrating their aspiration to host the hub.

The subsequent 'Dialogue with Citizens' session shared the functions and roles of the UN Global AI Hub and discussed strategies for attraction and citizen participation methods.

Starting with the launching ceremony, the Promotion Committee will simultaneously conduct the signature campaign online, at neighborhood administrative welfare centers, and in major multi-use facilities. The committee plans to collect signatures from 100,000 citizens and deliver them to the government and the National Assembly before the government’s location bidding process begins.

Mayor Min Kyung-sun stated, "Citizens were the first to propose hosting the international organization, and it is the citizens who made today's event possible. The launch of the Pan-Citizen Promotion Committee demonstrates that the goal of attracting the UN Global AI Hub is not merely an administrative objective, but the collective will of all Goyang citizens."

He went on to emphasize, "With the National Assembly, Goyang City, and citizens united as one team, we will make sure to achieve this goal."

The UN Global AI Hub is an international cooperation platform for the safe and fair use of artificial intelligence. Its roles include establishing international norms such as AI ethics and global standards, cultivating AI professionals, joint research, and research into legal and institutional frameworks. It is also responsible for addressing shared human challenges such as climate, health, and disasters through AI. The government is scheduled to conduct the nationwide bidding process for location selection among local governments in the second half of this year.

Goyang City held the launching ceremony of the 'UN Global AI Hub Attraction Goyang Citizens' Promotion Committee' on the 7th at the Goyang Flower Exhibition Hall in Ilsan Lake Park. Photo by Goyang City

Goyang City is highlighting its advantages, including KINTEX, the largest exhibition and convention center in Korea; accessibility to Incheon and Gimpo International Airports; and wide-area transportation networks such as GTX-A and KTX.

Additional competitive strengths include the AI and data center infrastructure centered on Ilsan Techno Valley, the medical and bio capacity of seven general hospitals such as the National Cancer Center and Myongji Hospital, and education infrastructure like Korea Aerospace University and Joongbu University.

Previously, on August 25, the city held the 'Declaration Ceremony for Attracting the UN Global AI Hub' at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building, with participation from local National Assembly members, the Goyang City Council, and local institutions and organizations. Later this month, the city plans to hold an 'Expert Forum on Strategies for Attracting International Organizations' at KINTEX, attended by international relations experts and representatives from academia and research institutions, to further elaborate on the rationale and strategies for attracting the hub to Goyang.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.