Lee Eogwon: "Jeonbuk, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam to Become Core Hubs for Physical AI"...Financial Support to Be Enhanced

Advancing Industry by Integrating AI and Robotics into Manufacturing
"Supporting Corporate Investment"... Policy Finance and Commercialization Assistance

Kim Eogwon, Chairman of the Financial Services Commission, announced plans to strengthen financial support for fostering regional bases of 'physical artificial intelligence (AI)' focusing on North Jeolla, North Gyeongsang, and South Gyeongsang provinces.

Attending the 'Physical AI Regional Base Development Forum' held on September 22, 2026 at the headquarters of Korea Development Bank in Yeouido, Seoul, Chairman Kim stated, "For physical AI to spread rapidly across industrial sites, the role of finance in backing corporate investments is crucial," and added, "We will actively support regional manufacturing sites to emerge as key bases for physical AI."

The plan is to upgrade regional industries by combining manufacturing capabilities with AI and robotics technologies and to work with policy financial institutions to ensure that bold corporate investments can lead to concrete commercialization.

Chairman Kim cited the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector as the foundation for Korea to lead the physical AI industry. He explained, "Korea possesses world-class manufacturing competitiveness and production infrastructure. The data, supply chains, and production technologies accumulated on our shop floors can be strongly linked to physical AI fields such as robotics, AI factories, and future vehicles."

He particularly highlighted the growth potential of North Jeolla, North Gyeongsang, and South Gyeongsang, which boast strong manufacturing foundations. Chairman Kim remarked, "Physical AI is not perfected in laboratories; it must be learned and verified on manufacturing floors. These three provinces have Korea’s representative manufacturing bases." He added, "If the regional strengths are combined with AI and robotics technologies, each region could grow into a new industrial hub."

This event was organized to support the government's 'Korea's Grand Leap Forward: Three Mega Projects,' and to build up a physical AI industry ecosystem centered on regional bases by combining manufacturing capabilities in North Jeolla, North Gyeongsang, and South Gyeongsang with physical AI technologies. The event was attended by Bae Kyunghoon, Vice Minister of Science and ICT, Chairman Kim, officials from local governments, policy financial institutions, regional banks, and representatives of about 30 physical AI companies.

On the same day, local governments, policy financial institutions, and regional banks signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the development of physical AI regional bases. They agreed to cooperate in strengthening industrial competitiveness through fostering physical AI regional hubs and in creating ecosystems for related local industries.

An official from the Financial Services Commission said, "Going forward, we will continue to work with policy financial institutions and others to support the growth of the physical AI industry and innovation in local industries," and added, "We will continuously seek out ways for the financial sector to play a leading role in enabling corporate growth and ecosystem building for local industries, including in cutting-edge fields such as physical AI."

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