Mayor Kim Hyeon-ki says he is prepared to “stake his life” on Gangnam-gu's push to attract an AI research center planned by US chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices.
The district is pitching its schools, residential amenities and growing robotics cluster as assets in attracting the hundreds of researchers AMD plans to hire to Korea.
AMD CEO Lisa Su said on Oct. 7 that the company plans to establish an AI Center of Excellence in Korea by year-end and hire hundreds of researchers. The center is expected to support AMD’s global AI software development and strengthen collaboration with Korean universities, research institutions and the wider AI ecosystem.
Gangnam-gu plans to promote the district as a possible location through the Ministry of Science and ICT and other government agencies, district officials said.
“I will stake my life on it,” the mayor said during the interview with The Korea Herald on Monday at the Gangnam-gu Office. “Gangnam has already laid the groundwork for the AI and robotics industries, with infrastructure and educational facilities in place,” he said.
Kim cited Korea International School in Gaepo-dong and the district’s residential and lifestyle infrastructure as advantages in attracting international researchers.
The district is developing the area around Suseo Station into a hub for robotics and AI. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is also developing a robotics venture town there and plans to complete the Seoul Robot Tech Center by 2030, as part of a broader effort to bring businesses, universities and research institutes together.
The area is already home to the Robot Plus Test Field, which opened in 2024. Spanning 5,950 square meters across two buildings, the facility houses more than 80 robots of around 30 types, alongside testing facilities, laboratories and classrooms.
“The area around Suseo Station is a gateway to Gangnam and southeastern Seoul. It already serves four rail lines — the SRT, GTX-A, Suin-Bundang Line and subway Line 3 — and the planned line connecting Suseo and Gwangju in Gyeonggi Province will bring the total to five,” Kim said.
Google DeepMind is also planning to open an AI Campus in Seoul this year, its first outside the United Kingdom. The 1,980-square-meter campus near Samseong Station is expected to support cooperation between Google and Korean researchers and startups.
“Preparations for Google’s AI Campus are progressing smoothly,” Kim said. “These are not empty words. Gangnam already has the foundations for a cluster that can attract young entrepreneurs looking to launch robotics startups and venture firms.”
yunapark@heraldcorp.com